Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo
by Riddler-of-Words
Summary: Collage of oneshots where Sasuke and Sakura find themselves in some very compromising situations. Tale #11: She joined his brother, his enemy, to save him even if he hated her for it.
1. Criminal

I've decided to start putting my collection of 100 Situations on FFN. They will also be on my Livejournal page. Most likely, I'll post new 100 Situation pieces on my Livejournal first, but they'll probably end up here shortly afterward. No promises though! I'll try and mark which ones are part of a series and which ones are just oneshots.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is part of the **Heist!fic **series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_He needed a crew and even though he hated to admit it, he needed her._

The room was packed, the result of the party being hosted there. Women of different sizes and statuses mingled around the room, their husbands following at their sides and sharing knowing, sympathetic glances with the other husbands in the room. A classical band played music on the large stage to the side, the sounds of the piano echoed off the high ceiling and floating back down into the ears of the couples dancing on the large, wooden dance floor.

As the music played and the wives mingled, no one noticed a woman in a strapless, champagne colored gown that reached the floor weaving her way through the crowd. In her right hand was a black clutch, the beads glittering from the light of the chandelier above her.

Her green eyes roamed the crowd has she moved towards the dance floor, taking in every movement, every face. A man cut in front of her, making her swiftly turn to the side to avoid hitting him. No one saw the movement, that of a practiced and trained professional.

The music slowed to a stop, picking up again as a new song played. People seemed to head for the dance floor, only the attending that were single seeming to stay behind.

She reached up and touched the clip in her blond hair, reassuring herself that it was still there. To anyone else it looked like a habit, a need to make sure her hair was perfect and that a single hair was not out of place.

A man to her left caught her attention, making her turn in that direction.

"I'm sorry," she murmured smoothly, softly, her mouth curved up in an apologetic smile. "Excuse me."

"Oh no," the man replied, glancing at her before moving towards the food table. "It's my fault."

She nodded, heading towards one of the doors that she knew led to the rest of the mansion. No doubt the hallways would be empty, the rooms bare except for the furniture. The party was in the ballroom, not in the dark, empty rooms on the other side of the mansion.

Just as she expected, the hallways showed no signs of people. Opening her clutch, she took out an ear piece and placed it in her ear.

"Take a left and you'll avoid the cameras," Shikamaru's voice buzzed in her ear. "Then take another left then a right and his office will be the third on the left."

"Got it," she whispered, following his directions and coming to the door. Pulling out the security card that she'd swiped off one of the guards earlier while playing drunk, the door swung open silently.

Turning, she closed the door with a soft click. The back of the gown dipped low, the moonlight catching her small shoulders and washing her lower back in a soft light.

"The window huh?" She turned and stared at the man leaning against the desk, the moonlight streaming around him like it was avoiding him. His face was turned downwards, the shadows clinging to him.

"It was the fastest way in," the man explained.

"True," she said, moving further into the room until she was only feet from him. "Too bad I can't dirty this dress. It's borrowed."

"That's too bad." The man paused as he stood, turning his back to her so that he could look out the window. She found it insulting that he would turn his back to her, that he would underestimate her so much as to leave his back unprotected to her. "The dress does you no justice. Neither does the wig."

"I like the dress and blond doesn't clash with it," she remarked with a pout, her eyes still focused on his back, taking in his every move.

"And pink does?" He glanced over his shoulder, his black eyes catching hers and relaying to her that he knew far more than he was letting on.

"Maybe," she told him, weighing her options. Clearly he knew who she was, but she still had no clue who he was. "So what are you here to steal? There's not much of anything here."

"You're stealing something, aren't you?" The question was rhetorical, making her angry. He knew way too much, so much that she wondered how he'd found out when they'd only made the plan not even two days ago.

"I bet it's nothing that you are interested in." She walked over to the bookcase on the left wall, running her fingers over the books' bindings and reading some of the covers. If he was going to turn his back, so would she, but with more precaution. She wasn't a arrogant fool, she'd spent too many years learning that that wasn't the way to being a thief. "I'd like my wallet back."

"And I'd like my watch back."

"Too bad I don't have it with me." She snapped her fingers in regret.

"Too bad I don't have your wallet with me," the man glanced over his shoulder again with a shrug, his hands sliding into his pockets casually. His shoulders were relaxed, his stance calm, like he viewed her as no threat.

She laughed, the sound resounding in the room like a bird's chirp in the early, still morning. The man's shoulders stiffened for a second, barely noticeable to anyone other than her sharp eyes. He wasn't here to play around, he was here for business.

"What do you want?" She cocked her head to the side, her fingers tightening around her clutch. "I doubt you're here just for a lovely little chat."

"I need a crew," he started, his voice soft, just above a whisper.

"What kind of crew?" she asked, taking a step closer so that she stood behind one of the armchairs near the bookshelf.

"The stealing kind," he explained, turning towards her. He was breathtakingly handsome, his eyes determined and his mouth set in a line. His tailored suit, expensive she noted, showed off broad shoulders that looked strong, long slender arms that looked useful when climbing through windows, and long legs that she once again noted were helpful when running, especially away from people.

"And what, may I ask, do you want this crew to steal?"

"Artwork," he replied, not giving anymore information on the matter. Although his face was void of emotion, Sakura could just make out an angry flicker in his eyes. If she had to guess on his motive, she'd bet it was revenge.

"And from whom do you want this crew to steal from?"

"My brother," he told her, his eyes finding hers once again, the gleam in them making her skin erupt in goosebumps. She _hated _goosebumps.

* * *

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke," Shikamaru informed her, sitting down on the other hotel bed.

"Uchiha Sasuke you say?" Sakura reached up and took off her blond wig, the pins snagging in her hair and making her wince. She hated wigs, especially blond ones. They gave men the arrogance to hit on her like she had only two brain cells, which she didn't nor did blonds.

Speaking of blonds, Sakura asked, "Where's Ino?"

"She's out returning your dress and getting one for herself," Shikamaru told her with a sigh. "So troublesome."

"I should have known," Sakura said as she rolled her eyes and fell backwards onto the bed. Leave it to Ino to have to have her own dress. "Does she know she's not going to be able to take it with her? Her suitcase is too small."

"She'll find a way." Sakura grinned, knowing he was right. He was the smart one of the group, their three man group. Well, two women and one man. "He said he needed a crew."

"So I heard," Shikamaru got up and walked over to the desk. Sakura heard him start tapping on some of the keys. "If he plans to steal from his brother, he's going to have a hell of a time doing it."

"State of the art security?" Sakura asked, pulling one knee up to her chest and taking off her shoe before doing the same with the other.

"Twenty four hour guards, lasers, super sensitive sensors, and—"

"There's more?" Sakura scooted further onto the bed until she was lying in the middle. The bed was comfy, king sized with the softest sheets she'd ever lain on. But then again, they'd decided to stay at one of the best hotels in the country, free of charge thanks to Shikamaru.

"The cameras are on a separate system with a backup generator of about ten seconds. Any power outages and the room will be lit again before you can blink," Shikamaru said before shaking his head. "If the alarm goes off, you're pretty much trapped in there. There's no way out. There's a steel sheet that drops in the walls that makes the room a steel box."

"Great, so now we know what he wants us to steal from," Sakura stated, running her fingers through her hair and searching for any leftover pins. "But we don't know why."

"They're brothers," Shikamaru mentioned, look at her over his shoulder before turning back to his laptop. "It could be because of anything."

"Well that anything just got us involved," Sakura told him, sitting up and looking out the window at the stars. They seemed so far away, but she remembered when she'd been a little girl and had reached up to catch one. He father had placed her on his shoulders and had told her to reach as high as she could, but she could never reach high enough. It was memories like those where she wished she could reach up and grab a star, grab that wish that that star offered and use it. "And I doubt he's going to take no for an answer."

"Are we really going to tell him no?"

Sakura shrugged, her eyes still focused on the stars. She'd never been taught to give up a challenge, but instead had been taught to take it and use it to prove herself. "No, we're not."


	2. Joke

I decided to update this early since I won't be on for a while unless I find time. Thanks! (: Also, sorry it ends so abruptly, I didn't feel like writing out a long ending. Short, crisp, easy to read.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not **part of any series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_She couldn't help, but pull a prank on him. It was April Fool's Day after all._**  
**

"What the _fuck_ is this?" Sasuke asked with an edge to his voice, signaling that anyone near him should fear for their lives.

Sakura glanced up from her seat at her desk, a laugh accidentally escaping her lips. She slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter, hoping that he wouldn't take it personally.

"I believe that is a pink shirt and pink pants," Sakura told him, glancing at Ino three desks away. They shared a look before Sakura looked back at Sasuke.

"I know that, but why am I wearing them?" He moved closer to her desk and placed his hands on it, trying to intimidate her. Too bad she wasn't easily scared or she might have confessed.

"How am I supposed to know? Did I unknowingly help you get dressed this morning?" Sakura challenged, staring him straight in the eye. They stared at each other for a long moment, trying to get the other to back down.

"Where are my clothes?" he suddenly demanded, straightening and crossing his arms. His long, lean arms were corded with veins, an indication that he worked out and bench pressed daily.

"I don't know. I haven't been in your apartment lately," Sakura said as she spun her chair around and grabbed a file behind her. Her silent laughter was cut short when Sasuke grabbed the armrests of her chair and spun her back towards him.

She wasn't surprised to find him on the other side of the desk and holding her captive in her own chair. It wouldn't take much to twist his arm and trap him against the desk, but that would end badly. The papers would be messed up on her desk and something would get broken as they struggled.

"You know where my clothes are," Sasuke told her, pulling her chair closer until their knees bumped together. "Where are they?"

Sakura smiled innocently at him as she said, "I honestly don't know. I didn't hide them."

Sasuke swore and shoved her chair away. He stalked off towards his desk, pausing only long enough to tell her to watch her back.

Ino winked at her and gave her two thumbs up before turning back to her paperwork. Sakura smirked at Sasuke's back and couldn't help but admit that he looked alright in pink.

* * *

"Are you serious?!" Sakura yelled as she shot up from her seat at the table in the break room. Her eyes darted around the break room murderously, ignoring the startled looks from other workers around her. "Who did this?"

In front of her was her ruined lunch that was overflowing with salt, a salt shaker top in the middle, between the chicken and noodles. The rest of the salt shaker was next to the plate, mostly empty.

"That's the oldest trick in the book," Ino laughed, picking up the topless salt shaker and sprinkling a little bit onto her own lunch. "But bravo to whoever did it."

"My lunch is ruined Ino," Sakura practically growled, picking up the plate roughly. Turning, she threw the lunch out, finding some satisfaction when it banged loudly against the bottom. Glancing up, she found Sasuke standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face. His arms were crossed over his pink shirted chest, his stance mocking.

"Having a nice lunch?" Sasuke asked, his eyes looking at the table and the topless salt shaker, then back at Sakura.

"You," Sakura said accusingly, pointing her finger at him tensely.

Sasuke shrugged a shoulder and turned, disappearing out of the doorway.

"That…that asshole!" Sakura muttered, turning back to Ino with a wicked glint in her eyes. "This means war."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, but I'm in."

* * *

Sakura snickered from her spot at her desk, her chair positioned perfectly so that she could see Sasuke's desk. Sasuke was no where to be seen, probably on lunch break. She could imagine him checking the salt and pepper shakers before using them just to make sure she wasn't trying to poison him. The thought had crossed her mind many times, but she hadn't given into the temptation yet.

Another person stopped at Sasuke's desk, their face morphing into a look of curiosity, then shock. People had started to gather around Sasuke's desk five minutes ago, their eyes slowly widening as their minds processed what they were seeing. Naruto's eyes were the widest, his mouth hanging open wide enough for a ping pong ball to enter easily.

Suddenly, Sasuke walked into the room and headed for his desk. When he saw all the people gathered around his desk, his pace quickened as his face transformed into one of annoyance.

"Sasuke," Naruto shouted when he spotted Sasuke, his eyes still wide. "I honestly thought you were gay."

"What the hell are you talking about idiot?" Sasuke asked angrily, telling people to move so that he could get to his desk. "Get away from my desk unless you have filled out reports for me."

People scattered immediately, leaving Naruto alone to deal with Sasuke's wrath.

"I didn't know you were into porn," Naruto exclaimed, loud enough for Sakura to hear from across the room. She couldn't help but snicker, sorely wishing she had some popcorn to go along with this show.

"If I had, I would have gotten some from Kakashi for you," Naruto continued, ignorant of the growing tense line of Sasuke's shoulders.

"I don't watch porn so I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Sasuke told Naruto, his forehead creasing with confusion and annoyance. He motioned for Naruto to get out of his chair.

"Dude, it's all over your computer," Naruto informed him, watching as Sasuke sat down and stared at his computer screen with a blank face. On the screen was a very dirty video of a woman dressed up as a maid and a man not dressed at all.

"It's not mine," Sasuke scowled, exiting the video out. His nostrils flared as another box came up, a picture of a couple going at it against the shower wall. "Who did this?"

"I don't know," Naruto said thoughtfully. "Sakura told me that she found something interesting on your computer and so I checked it out and _this _is what I find. Who would have known that you were actually into girls...unless it's the guys you're checking out."

Sasuke's head snapped up at the mention of Sakura's name. He immediately found her across the room, sending her his deadliest glare that would have made anyone else shrivel up and die on the spot.

Instead, Sakura waved back tauntingly. That alone told Sasuke that she had crossed the line, and when someone crossed the line with Sasuke, they didn't return.

* * *

Days later, Sakura and Sasuke made a truce, both resistant to give in to the other, but it was better than this deadly, trickster war that they were both involved in.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh loudly at the red color of Sasuke's hair, almost getting socked in the face with Sasuke's fist. Sasuke claimed that Sakura was the culprit, his glare never leaving the back of her head for the following two days.

Ino commented on the dark orange color of Sakura's face, claiming that fake tans were so last season. Sakura angrily admitted that it was all Sasuke's fault and was tempted to put something sharp on his chair right before he sat down.

It took Sasuke weeks before the red faded enough to not be noticeable.

Sakura spent every night for two weeks scrubbing her face, but the tan didn't fade. At least it didn't look fake anymore.

Sasuke had to force Naruto to spread rumors that the porn wasn't his, but actually Sakura's. Sakura had Ino tell everyone that the porn was Naruto's. Naruto didn't realize that the blame had been placed on him and became confused when people started emailing him dirty pictures. He forwarded them all to Sasuke.

The next April Fools day, Sasuke and Sakura both took 'sick' days and refused to come into work, cautious of what the other might have planned for them.

Sakura didn't want another fake and bake look. Sasuke preferred to keep his hair black; red just wasn't his color.


	3. Taste

So I am extremely tired right now, more so than usual. Exhaustion is no excuse for my long periods of not updating nor was I using it as an excuse, but I figured I'd let you all know that I am really busy right now with so many different things that I can't even count them all on both hands. But the guilt is settling in big time this week, so I'm updating. I'm sorry if it's not the story that you wanted to see updated, but I'll try and get to all of them when I can. No promises, though. I'm happy to say that this was proofread, yay. Maybe, slowly, I'm turning over a new leaf?

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not **part of a series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_Rumors are powerful, not that it really mattered to him. It was what she believed that he cared about._

Sakura watched as the new guy strolled down the hallway with ease. With his hands in his pockets, he looked calmer than most new students did on their first day.

"I heard that he was expelled from his last school," Ino whispered beside her, her blue eyes taking in his lean, tall form with appreciation. "I always did love the bad boy."

"Bad boy or not, he's trouble," Sakura reminded her, turning to head for her first period class. Ino's heels could be heard behind her as she tried to catch up, complaining all the way down the hall.

Sakura ignored her complaining. When it suddenly turned quiet beside her, she turned to find Ino admiring the new guy feet away from them. Sakura didn't want to admit it, but he looked even more handsome close up. He had a roguish look about him with midnight black eyes framed by long lashes. His lips were thin with a reddish tint, drawing Sakura's attention to them immediately and guiltily.

He turned and gave Ino an annoyed look, his eyes moving to Sakura with the same look. No emotion other than annoyance registered on his face as his lips turned downwards slightly.

The teacher called his name to catch his attention. Sakura caught Uchiha as she walked by, refusing to acknowledge the new guy as shame and anger settled in the pit of her stomach. The look he'd just given her had confirmed her decision to avoid him.

"So what'd he get kicked out for?" Ino asked a girl named Hanna one seat over.

Hanna leaned forward, her eyes drawn to the new guy like everyone else in the room. The glint of desire was hard to ignore as she spoke. "I heard he was dealing drugs and almost got someone killed from overdose."

Ino stared at Hanna in amazement. Hanna just shrugged as though it were no big deal that the new guy had almost killed someone and sat straighter when the teacher started to introduce the new guy to the class.

Sakura didn't bother to listen. Whatever he was saying, Sakura didn't want any part in it. It's not that she didn't care, it's just that she had no interest in druggies who helped fan the flames of others' addictions.

* * *

It didn't take long for him to fit in. The girls swarmed around him, not caring about his tarnished reputation or the fact that he was tied to drug dealing. The guys befriended him to either get with the ladies that seemed to follow him everywhere, find out if his drug dealing was true or not in the hopes of getting a new seller, or both.

As Sakura walked down the hallway towards her fifth period class she felt someone staring at her from the corner of her eye. The hair on her arms rose painfully and she wished that it was from being cold. Turning, she found the new guy watching her from his perch against his locker. It seemed like forever before they broke eye contact, scaring Sakura as she picked up her pace.

Without another glance, she turned the corner and sighed. That had been weird, but everything about him was weird. The staring, the darkness that seemed to emanate from him, and the rumors that no one knew the truth about. It was all too mysterious for her, especially when she liked knowing the answers to things, not being left in the dark.

Ino greeted her after sixth, eager to get to lunch. Her latest diet fad was nothing but rice and zucchini.

"You do realize that rice and zucchini don't count as a meal," Sakura informed her, taking her paper bagged lunch out of her locker before closing it.

"Duh, that's why it's a _diet_," Ino retorted, running her fingers through her perfectly blond straight hair to fluff it. "I think Sasuke is going to be sitting at our table today. I'm so excited!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but endured Ino's rant about the new guy. It had only been four weeks she was already in love with him.

"He's trouble Ino. Didn't you hear about the rumors?" Sakura asked, refusing to let the rumors go weeks later. But the more she said it, the more she started to believe it was a lie. She didn't normally believe in rumors and she wasn't sure why she was making an exception for Sasuke. Maybe she was just making excuses for herself, reasons to stay away from him.

Ino scoffed at Sakura but decided to change the subject as they walked into the lunch room and then out the double doors towards the outside cafeteria tables. Their table sat under a large oak tree whose leaves often rained down on their food.

Ino decided not to respond, but instead flicked her hair of her shoulder and moved towards their table as fast as she could in her new flip flops. Following behind her hesitantly, Sakura came towards the table and found Sasuke already at the table. She tried to deny that she'd been looking for him as they'd approached the table, but failed miserably when her eyes found him first and stayed on him for longer than necessary.

His eyes found Sakura's as she found the farthest seat from him at the table. Sakura wanted to chalk it up as being a mere glance, nothing more, but he continued to stare at her with interest, unnerving her. Finally, he looked away to talk to Neji.

With a long, shaky inhale, Sakura started to eat her lunch while focusing on everything but Sasuke. She refused to look towards the other side of the table. It bothered her that he was there and she felt like his eyes were always on her, her face, her hands, her lips, but when she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, he was always looking somewhere else.

It made no sense. Sakura couldn't figure out his sudden interest in herself. What had she done to draw attention to herself? As far as she knew, nothing, and that's how she'd planned to keep it until he decided to derail her with his ability to get under her skin with those obsidian eyes and thin lips just hinting at a smirk.

The period ended slower than Sakura hoped for. Although it was mean to think it, Sakura wished that Sasuke wouldn't sit at their table tomorrow. Lately he'd been sitting at their table more and more even though he tabled hopped constantly, socializing even though he barely spoke. It must have been his looks. Or maybe it was the mysteriousness of his expulsion that he had yet to tell anyone about.

* * *

"Sakura, right?" Sakura looked up, trying to hide her frown by pressing her lips together. At the last minute she realized what a bad move it might be and had to hide her blush when she caught him staring at her lips out of the corner of her eye. It annoyed her that he could make her blush so easily, as though she were twelve and not seventeen.

"Yep," was all she said as she rummaged through her locker. She pretended to search for something, hoping that he'd get the hint and leave. A small part of her secretly wanted him to stay even though she refused to admit it.

"You're different," Sasuke stated straightforwardly. He leaned his side against the lockers, indicating that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Thanks, I think?" Sakura closed her locker and headed in the opposite direction quickly. He easily caught up with her in a couple of strides, making Sakura quietly sigh in defeat.

"It was a compliment," he told her, pocketing his hands, but not slowing his pace.

"I know." The sunlight warmed Sakura's face as she emerged outside. The long row of yellow school buses was parked to her left, filling up quickly with students. On the right was the student parking lot, students hurrying towards their cars to get off the school grounds for the weekend.

"You don't act like the others," he admitted quietly, his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

Sakura didn't bother to ask who the others were because she already knew. "Yeah, well, I like guys with more than just looks."

"I'll pretend that I only heard the part where you said I have looks."

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I have standards," she informed him, trying to ignore the rapid beat of her heart and her sweaty palms as she tried to not say something stupid.

"That's what I like about you," he told her with furrowed eyebrows, the look puzzling Sakura. It looked as though he looked frustrated by liking her and, unanticipated, she was reminded of why she had been avoiding him.

He seemed to miss the look of remembrance on her face as he softly jerked his head towards the parking lot.

"Do you need a ride?" he suddenly asked, pulling out a chain with two keys on it. Sakura wondered why he didn't have more keys, some of which she would have guessed belonged to a safe with dangerous and bad things in it.

"I'm fine," Sakura replied hesitantly, staring at the student parking lot and trying to guess which one was his car.

"I promise it's perfectly safe," he told her, pointing towards a motorcycle that stood out among the cars. It was mostly black with red commas on it, an odd design that Sakura had never seen before. It looked unsafe, but then again, everything about him was unsafe.

"I walk home," Sakura lied, shouldering her bag uncomfortably. She hesitated before stepping away from him and towards the curb. "But thanks."

She quickly hurried off towards the buses, ignoring the curiosity as to whether he was watching her or not. Disappearing behind one of the buses, she made her way to her bus got on and picked a seat. It took a great amount of effort to not look for Sasuke all the way home.

The guilty feeling angered Sakura. She didn't like to lie, but when it came to Sasuke, it was a must. Getting on that motorcycle with him would have been the biggest mistake of her life, especially when she was being scraped up from the road. Or when her feelings were being picked up after he was done using her for whatever purpose he had in mind.

* * *

"How was your walk home?" Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin, turning to find Sasuke leaning against the lockers across from her. Twisting her lips to keep from glaring at him, she turned back to her locker.

"It was okay," she lied guiltily, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Suddenly, she wished she hadn't left her notebook in her locker. If she hadn't forgotten it, she wouldn't be in an empty hallway alone with Sasuke.

"You're afraid of me," Sasuke stated with a hint of amusement.

Sakura didn't turn to confront him nor did she want to see the confidence in his face. She didn't want to see the smirk on his face, or the glinting of his obsidian eyes. If there was one thing she hated about those eyes, it was the depth of them. "I'm not afraid."

"You are afraid…of being involved with me," he repeated, moving away from his perch against the lockers to stand next to her open locker.

"You're right, I don't want to be involved with you," Sakura admitted, turning to stare at him. It bothered her that he was so close, that she could make out each individual eyelash as it brushed against the smooth skin of his cheeks with each blink.

"You don't have to be afraid," he murmured, brushing off her insult with a twist of his lips, his eyes roaming her face with an intensity that made her stomach flutter unwillingly. "All you need is a little taste and you'll realize that there is nothing to be afraid of."

"Of what?" Sakura hoped that he wouldn't say drugs. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be right. The words 'I told you so' didn't seem so appealing at the moment.

"Of my world," he said so low that Sakura unconsciously leaned forward to hear him. She drew back when she suddenly felt his breath on her face, her green eyes widening in alarm.

"You mean drugs." He smirked, a small piece of hair falling onto his forehead. It made Sakura's breathe hitch slightly, irking her. He drew closer, making Sakura place her hand on his chest to stop him. As though she'd been burned, she drew her hand away quickly and cradled it with her other.

"I never said that."

"You didn't need to," she informed him, startled to find herself caged between his arm and the lockers, her locker to her left. The vents pressed against her shoulder blades as he loomed over her. It made her uncomfortable that she was so defenseless against him. Everything concerning him made her uncomfortable, especially the way he was making her feel. She shouldn't be feeling this pull towards him, not with her body or her feelings.

"I didn't deal drugs," he told her, his smirk still firmly in place as he stared down at her. "I didn't do them either." His lips came closer and Sakura felt her eyes lids flutter as her head tilted back slightly. Her lips felt dry and for a minute she wondered if he'd mind.

His breath on her lips, minty and cool, woke her from her want filled daze. She shouldn't be feeling this, not for him, even when she wanted so badly to rise to her tip toes and press her mouth to his as her fingers ran through his black locks. The idea was inviting and Sakura almost couldn't resist it.

"I need to go," Sakura suddenly said, ducking under his arm and hurrying down the hall. Glancing over her shoulder, she found him smirking after her with his hand still on her open locker.

"Just a little taste," he called after her, making her frown and shake her head.

"No thanks," she responded, turning the corner and deciding that she'd rather take the long way than endure going all the way down the long hallway and give him the chance to watch her. She was almost to her classroom when she realized that she didn't have her notebook. Swearing under her breath, she spun around and headed back to her locker. Half of her was hoping that he'd be gone, the other half desperately wanting him to there.

He wasn't at her locker and Sakura tried, and failed, to ignore the disappointment that had settled in her when she'd arrived at her locker. Her notebook sat in the bottom of her locker and she grabbed it roughly, wanted to take all of her jumbled up emotions out on this notebook that had started all of this.

Sakura was about to close her locker when a piece of paper caught her attention, folded like a tent on the upper shelf. With clammy fingers, Sakura grabbed it and unfolded it slowly. She bit her lip as she stared at the cell phone number written in neat handwriting. There was no name of the paper but she had a good guess as to who had left it in her locker.

"I don't want a taste," she muttered frustratingly to herself even though she couldn't help but notice that a small part of her did.

* * *

So I now have a headache and my neck hurts. All for proofreading and making this as good as I can get it. So someone better read this or all of my pain will have been for nothing. Just kidding, no pressure!


	4. Trip

I decided to post a super long piece just to show how sorry I am for not posting in so long. I know that a lot of people want some of my other stories to be updated, but I'm working on it as fast as I can. Inspiration doesn't come on demand nor does time.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not** part of a series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_In another life, I would make you stay so I don't have to say you were the one that got away._

My life was perfect. The road ahead of me towards my future was all paved and set, every little pebble set in its own place. I had an internship that people would kill for, college was over and all the hard work was going to pay off, and I could finally breath.

Or at least that's what I thought. I thought that it would be easy, a cakewalk. But I was wrong, oh so wrong. Instead of getting easier, I was up to my chin in work, busier than before. Why was this happening? Why wasn't I happy, after all my hard work?

"Earth to Sakura." Ino snapped her fingers in front of my face, nearly hitting me on the nose with one perfectly manicured nail.

"...what?" I blinked rapidly, trying to focus on her. She sighed disapprovingly, her blue eyes staring at me as though she were looking into my soul. It creeped me out and I plastered a fake, cheerful smile on my face. But Ino wasn't my best friend for nothing and she easily saw through it.

With a sigh, Ino leaned forward, leaning her elbows on the table. "Are you happy?" she asked quietly, her eyes scanning my face for my reaction.

I kept my face neutral, belying the internal conflict that I'd felt for the past couple of weeks. Was I happy? Sitting here in the café, with Ino, I knew that I was. She was my best friend, someone that I could lean on when I needed to. But I knew the instant I walked out of the café and back into reality, I would be miserable again.

Had I gotten so used to it that I expected it daily? Did my happiness not matter that much when compared to work?

"I…yes—no, maybe…I don't know," I finally admitted, staring down at my knitted hands in my lap. My fingers played with a loose string on the hem of my shirt as I purposely avoided Ino's eyes. I wondered if she was disappointed with me.

We'd always promised each other to live our lives to the fullest. We had made a promise to be happy, enjoy life, and have no regrets. Only she seemed to be keeping that promise.

"You're not." I glanced up at Ino, knowing that she understood what I was feeling. Relief coursed through me. At least I wouldn't have to admit out loud how pathetic my life was. Her crystal blue eyes suddenly lit up. "I read this book once. The woman in it put her life on hold and traveled the world for a year and discovered herself and her happiness."

"But I know who I am," I told her sadly. "And I can't just get up and leave."

"Says who?" Ino challenged, her eyes gleaming wickedly. "You're twenty two Sakura. You're old enough to make your own decisions. Buy a plane ticket to the first place you see and go. It's as simple as that."

The look of disbelief must have looked pretty funny because suddenly Ino started giggling. She rubbed her hands excitingly and stood, shouldering her purse.

"I'll take care of everything, the plane ticket, packing for you, arranging for your stuff to be put into storage. You decide whether you want to be happy or not and how that's going to be happy with your internship." With those words, Ino left the café, her blond hair swishing energetically down her back.

I just stared, not able to get up and stop her. She'd just given me an out, a chance at happiness, and all I needed to do was decide on whether I was getting on that plane or not.

* * *

First class is a rarity or, at least, it is for me. Everyone else in first class looked comfortable, like first class was the usual for them. One thing I knew for sure was that the seats were _amazing_.

Initially, I'd felt bad when Ino had told me that she'd used her own money to buy my plane ticket, but her family was old money and she'd reassured me that it was no big deal. I would have argued more but she'd had this threatening look in her eye and I had had the feeling that she'd force me onto the plane with or without my consent.

The seat next to me was empty and I wondered if anyone would show up. The pilot had announced that they would be closing the door soon and taking off within the next ten minutes.

Suddenly, a gorgeous man appeared in the aisle, a cell phone attached to his ear. His face looked as though it was chiseled from stone and perfect, even when it was twisted in an angry scowl. I raised my hand and pretended to scratch my chin. At least my mouth was closed, saving me the embarrassment of rudely staring at him in awe.

_Oh wow…_ He was so… I'd never felt this sort of feeling before, seeing him. In his business suit with his five thousand Rolex and high tech blackberry, I knew that he was someone important. Someone that could probably crush me in seconds with snobbery.

With that thought, I turned back towards the window. He'd probably sit in the front. There were enough empty seats for him to choose so there was no chance that he'd sit next to me. I let the wish die before it could get crushed along with my hope.

"You're in my seat," a husky, low baritone voice reached my ears. For a moment I thought that it was directed at me, but didn't bother to turn. In my jeans and sweatshirt, I looked like I belonged in coach. And I did. Ino was the wealthy one, not me.

One look at me and that gorgeous specimen would demand to sit somewhere far away from me. It wasn't that I hated rich people, I didn't have a problem with them, but hanging with Ino at the country clubs tended to bring unwanted attention to my financial status.

Ino didn't hesitate to tear them apart. Her words could cut skin like soft butter if she wanted them to.

Someone cleared their throat. It was loud and sounded irritated. Curiously, I turned and felt my mouth drop open. Him, the most attractive man alive, was staring at me with a dark look on his face.

"What?" I asked dumbly. Great, he probably thought I was mentally challenged now. Good going Sakura, really, you never cease to amaze me with your stupidity.

"You're in my seat." He scowled, glancing down the isle and seeing the flight attendant advancing towards them. She stopped to close an overhead compartment, struggling to close it over a large carry on.

"This is my seat," I told him, my face heating up as he looked at me skeptically. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked to his right towards the curtain that separated the first class from the coach.

"Are you sure?" He shifted to his other foot impatiently. His eyes scanned my outfit, from my sweatshirt with the hole in the cuff to my worn out jeans to my faded, strapped sandals.

"Yes, I'm sure. Would you like to see my ticket?" I started to digging through my pockets angrily, trying to find it. He shook his head and sat down in the seat next to me, buckling his seat belt as the flight attendant stopped at our row.

The flight attendant's eyes remained glued to the man next to me as she bended down. "Is there anything I can get you before we take off?"

The man scowled. "No." The flight attendant pouted, her eyes flickering to me with a mocking gaze.

"You?" she asked me, her eyes moving between me and the guy next to me. She gave the guy a pitying look.

"No thanks," I told her, relieved when she moved to the next row. I should have just told Ino to downgrade me to coach. At least there I wouldn't have to deal with pompous guys and rude flight attendants.

The guy next to me was staring at me. It was unnerving and I wondered for a moment if there was something wrong with my hair because I decided that it didn't matter.

"It's just a window seat," I informed him, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye before I focused on the window again. I wasn't really watching the window though, my attention focused on the fact that the guy hadn't looked away yet.

Until his cell phone buzzed again.

I felt my chest loosen up as I took a deep breath. _Breath Sakura. He's not that good looking._ I mentally scoffed. Yeah, right.

"Fuck. Are you seriously calling me right now because of that?" I glanced at the guy, curiosity overtaking me as I stared at him.

"No, don't let that happen. He fucked it up, he'll fix it," the guy practically growled into the phone before pressing the end button. His dark, obsidian orbs met mine and I realized for the first time that his eyes were as pitch black as the midnight sky. Oddly, his eyes were as black as his weirdly styled hair.

"You have really black eyes," I murmured, drawn to his eyes. I'd never seen anyone with black eyes before, never though it possible. But alas, the impossible becomes possible.

I blinked and looked away when I saw the smirk on his face. The blush came to my face before I could stop it and then my face was turning even redder when I realized that he was staring at me.

"My mother has black eyes," the man informed me quietly as he scanned a message on his phone before responding back. I watched his long, manly looking fingers tap the small keys without hesitation or mistake. It was obvious that he used his phone regularly, more than that judging how fast his fingers were flying.

"I've never seen someone with black eyes before," I admitted, mentally telling myself not to blush for admitting this to a complete stranger. I felt the plane start to move and watched as the flight attendant moved down the isle.

"I've never seen someone with pink hair," he said quietly, turning off his blackberry and pocketing it. Even though his voice was quiet, I knew that it could command a room full of people in less than two seconds. "Is it real?"

"No," I told him sarcastically while I turned and watched the ground speed up outside the plane. "I had this designer from Dior make it. Cost a small fortune that could have helped feed starving kids."

It took everything in me to keep a straight, serious face. The longer we stared at each other, the more it dawned on him that I was joking. He glared at me as I started to crack up.

My laughter was cut short when my stomach dropped. I cringed and closed my eyes, wondering when the weightless, groundless feeling would stop.

"It's not as bad when you keep your eyes open." I opened my eyes immediately, feeling slightly better than I had with my eyes closed. I didn't bother to think about the fact that I believed him. To believe someone meant that you had to trust them and I don't trust strangers, not even this man and his perfect cheekbones, strong jaw, and black, endless eyes.

"How old are you?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. When I was nervous or downright afraid words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. It was a terrible flaw of mine that I wish had an off switch.

"Twenty three." The fact that he'd actually responded would have surprised me if the plane hadn't jerked downward at that moment. My hands flew to the arm rests, clutching tightly as though they were lifelines. If this plane went down, though, the arm rests wouldn't help at all. The thought wasn't very reassuring.

It took me a couple of minutes to calm down. My heart finally stopped trying to thud out of my chest as the plane leveled off and smoothed out.

For some reason the arm rest felt different. Glancing down, I realized that I was clutching this captivating man's hand, hard. I pulled my hand away as though I'd been shocked, getting angry at myself for not realizing sooner that I'd been clutching onto his hand like some lunatic. And my face was getting red again dammit!

"Sorry," I muttered, pretending to stare out the window so that I could get my blush under control. Something told me that he'd still seen it, unfortunately.

"First time on a plane?" he asked curiously, his hand still on the arm rest. I wondered if he'd wiped his hand off when I hadn't been looking. Maybe. Probably.

"Yeah," I told him embarrassingly, knitting my fingers together in my lap. "Bad idea."

"You get used to it," he reassured me. Once again he surprised me with his words. The asshole that I'd thought him to be was becoming less of a jerk and more of a decent guy.

"You're on planes a lot, aren't you?" I guessed, feeling somewhat bad for him. This was my first time on a plane and I already hated it. It was uncomfortable to sit there for so long, even in first class, and it was scary. Being so high in the sky doesn't guarantee that you won't fall.

"Sometimes." He didn't elaborate further, but I was still inquisitive. The fewer words he said, the more I wanted to know and ask.

"Does it ever get overwhelming?" I asked him, wondering if I was overstepping my boundaries. He was a stranger, someone that I just happened to steal a plane seat from. And even worse was that I didn't know his name.

The man didn't answer at first, his eyes fixated on the seat in front of him. "It does," he murmured as though he were telling me a secret. I suddenly felt bad for prying. He probably thought I was some stalker trying to find out everything I could about him.

I decided to tell him my story to show him that this whole conversation wasn't about him. "You see, that's why I'm on this plane," I started, fiddling with my fingers nervously. "I was overwhelmed with my life and decided to just drop everything to travel." I glanced sideways at him, not surprised to find him watching my intently. "I quit my job, well it was more like an internship, and stopped leasing my apartment. All of my stuff is in storage and who knows when I'll be back. When I finally find what I'm looking for, I'll return." I stopped, realizing that I was blabbing about myself far more than I should, but the words were already out of my mouth and there was nothing I could do to take them back.

The man continued to stare at me. I felt like he was reading my mind, gazing into my soul with those piecing black orbs. He had a great advantage, having eyes like that. It was hard to ready the emotions in his eyes when they were so dark and bottomless. I found it frighteningly easy to get lose in his eyes. Not good. Not good at all.

"What are you looking for?" His voice scraped across my skin, giving my goosebumps. His question startled me, not in a physical way, though. The question made me think, really think, for the first time since I'd left Ino at the metal detectors at the airport.

My lips parted and no words escaped for a moment as I looked at him with wide eyes and whispered, "I don't know. Maybe I'm looking for myself or what I want in life. But whatever I find, I want to be happy and know that I won't have any regrets."

* * *

"What's your name?" He looked shocked for a moment before his face turned emotionless. I was starting to realize that he liked to hide his emotions, to keep his face a neutral mask of indifference.

"Sasuke Uchiha." The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on where I'd heard it.

"Well it's nice to meet you Sasuke." I held out my hand, holding in the chills that went down my spine when his hand shook mine firmly. His fingers looked so much bigger than mine, strong and masculine. "I'm Sakura Haruno."

Sasuke nodded while he buckled his seatbelt. The seatbelt sign flashed above our heads, indicating that we were going to land soon. A minute later, the pilot came on and announced that we were about to land in Rio de Janeiro.

A nervous feeling erupted in my stomach. This was it. When I got off this plane, I'd be in a foreign country without any friends. Whatever happened, I was in it alone.

To sidetrack myself from my thoughts, I turned to Sasuke. "What are you doing in Rio de Janeiro?"

"Business. A section of my company is in Rio de Janeiro," he explained nonchalantly. I tried my hardest to keep my mouth closed. His company?

"You own a company?" I asked. A part of my nagged that I was prying, but we'd been sitting next to each other for hours so it didn't bother me as much.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable. I couldn't fathom why he was so weary.

"That's cool." I turned back towards the window, deciding that asking personal questions was on my don't-do list.

"It can get tiresome sometimes," he said quietly, his eyes flicking up to the flight attendant as she sauntered past. No doubt her hips swung because of Sasuke.

I opted for a nod, my eyes remaining fixed on his face. He really was handsome, way too handsome for this planet. He deserved to be a God, especially with that bone structure.

"What was your internship for?" I looked at him, surprised that he'd remembered. Of course, if he owned a company he probably had a really good memory.

"I'm a secretary for this—well, I was. I was a secretary for this publishing company and I'd also seen what publishers do. It wasn't going well, though, because they saw me as more of a secretary than an intern who was looking to become a publisher." It all came out like an exhale. I realized that at that moment, I wasn't just letting out my feelings, but my frustration and anger. I'd wasted so much time, time that I would never get back.

"Were you getting paid?" he inquired, his eyes roaming my face and taking in the anger that I knew was shown there.

I shook my head, staring down at my knitted hands. My knuckles were white and it took me a moment to relax them. "They were probably looking for a free secretary and I was stupid enough to believe them when they called it an internship."

"It takes intelligence to edit someone else's work. It also takes skill to not try and make that work your own by incorporating your own style." I looked up at him, into his black eyes. His lips were curved up in one corner.

"Did you just compliment me?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Hn."

A smile worked its way to my lips, making me grin happily. He blinked once, twice, before he coughed and turned to look down the aisle.

* * *

The poster in front of me was huge. It covered a good portion of the wall, from ceiling to floor. But that wasn't why I was looking at it.

"That's you," I informed Sasuke like he didn't already know that there was a poster of him in front of us. He stood next to me impatiently, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his blackberry. "Your face is so…massive."

"Thanks," Sasuke said sarcastically. His eyes scanned the baggage claim, annoyance flickering on his face when he found his suitcase not there.

"Uchiha Corporations must be big if they made your face so big." I could feel the glare he was giving me out of the corner of my eye. "Really, it's a good thing that your face is on the wall. It means you have power and money."

"People don't need a picture of my face on the wall to know that," Sasuke remarked, reaching down and grabbing a red suitcase. A tag on the handle said HARUNO.

"Thanks." I grabbed the suitcase from him, marveling at how Ino had managed to fit all of the clothes she'd packed for me in one suitcase. "The only reason I knew you had money was because you came into first class with a top notch blackberry and a suit."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me before he went back to suitcase watching. I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but it was as if the long plane ride had made us friends. He was saying more than two words, and I wasn't blabbering anymore. But it was only a theory.

"So if I lose the suit and phone, I won't stand out so much?" he asked as he hauled his own suitcase off of the moving belt in one fluid movement. I noticed people around us staring at him, most of them women. Didn't they know that it was rude to stare?

"Maybe." Even without the suit and expensive phone, he'd still stand out. With a strong jaw line, thin lips, and captivating eyes, he was too handsome to ignore.

"I'll take that as a no," he said sarcastically, his eyes glancing to his left annoyingly. I followed his gaze and watched as a woman with sleek black hair, green eyes, and high cheekbones approached. Her hips swayed gracefully and frowned, all too aware of my own bony hips and their lack of rhythm.

"Excuse me." Her voice was soft and sweet but her eyes glinted confidently. Her hand slid up his chest slowly, pushed his jacket to the side, and tucked a piece of paper into his shirt pocket. I noticed that her nails were a bright red. "Feel free to call whenever."

Sasuke didn't respond and opted to stare her down emotionlessly. She didn't flinch but instead smirked before turning and strutting away without a backwards glance.

"Well," I paused, searching for the right words while trying to hold back my laughter. "That was different," I finished, knowing that different didn't even begin to describe what had just happened.

"Maybe for you," he grunted miserably. I glanced up at him and my breath caught. His eyes flickered away from me quickly and I tried to ignore the small voice in my head that wanted to make a big deal out of it.

"I think you're the first guy that hasn't wanted a pretty girl to give him her phone number," I admitted thoughtfully after a moment of silence that I had tried to not think of as awkward.

"They don't even know me," he muttered, reaching up and pulling the piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. Without even opening it, he crumpled it and dropped it into the closest trashcan as we followed the arrows pointing towards the exit.

It was easy to walk in comfortable silence, especially with a man that I'd just met a couple of hours ago. As we neared the exit, everything that had happened to me in the past couple of days crashed into me like a tidal wave.

I had to force myself to keep walking and to not go running back to the ticket counter and demand a ticket home, back to the normality that was my life.

Next to me, Sasuke seemed to sense my sudden nervousness. He was a business man after all. Reading people was instinct.

"You'll be fine," he said quietly, so quietly that at first I wasn't sure if he'd actually said it. I looked up at him and found him starting at me with a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite name.

All too soon, we were outside, breathing in the breezy air and fading warmth as day turned to night. Without realizing it, I'd grown attached to Sasuke. I didn't want to leave, not when we'd just met. But he had already hailed a car in the two minutes that we'd been out there.

I expected him to haul his suitcase into the back, but he reached for mine and placed it carefully in the trunk.

"You don't have to—," I started politely, quieting when he closed the trunk. "Well, if you insist."

We stood there for a moment, me staring at him and wondering what to say while he stared off into the distance with his hands in his pockets.

"I guess this is where we part," I told him, wanting to smack myself at how cheesy what I'd just said sounded. "It was nice talking to you."

"You too," he agreed with a small smirk, his eyes boring into mine. I felt like I was drowning in liquid black, sinking deeper and deeper. Breaking his eye contact, I stuck out my hand and waited for him to shake my hand.

Instead, he held out a card that had his name on it along with an email and phone number. I took it curiously and dropped my hand heavily, clutching the card tightly, afraid that it might blow right out of my hand.

Behind Sasuke, the driver asked if I was reading to go. I wanted to tell him no, I would never be ready, but I stopped myself before I could. I wasn't sure why I didn't want to leave Sasuke, but my heart was beating painfully at the thought of doing so.

With one last smile at Sasuke and a sweep of his face, from his thin lips to his strong neck and every other feature of his face, I got into the car and closed the door. The driver asked where I wanted to go and I gave him the address of the hotel I'd be staying at for the next week.

It took everything in me to not look out the back window as we pulled away from the curb and emerged into the traffic. Instead, I opted to look at the small card in my hand. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face as small butterflies erupted in my stomach and ascended upwards, encasing my heart as it beat excitingly.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I should be doing other things right now, really, but I decided to update instead so please don't beg/plead/ask/demand that I update more often.


	5. Myth

I'm so tired right now so maybe that's why I'm posting this. It has been a while but I am working on the chapters of my other stories along with some other oneshots.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is part of the **Mermaid!fic** series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_Can't turn back now, I'm haunted._

"Mother, tell me the story again." Obsidian orbs twinkled down at her son. A smile graced her face as she gently sat down beside him on the bed.

A boy of seven lay under the dark blue colors, his black hair sticking out against his cream colored pillow. Dark obsidian eyes, just like his mother's, gazed out the window at the ocean, the dark blue mirroring the moon.

"Which one would you like to hear?" His mother asked even though she already knew which one he would say.

"The one about the ocean…" the boy trailed off, his eyes focusing on her. He snuggled deeper into the covers, the softest silk money could buy. Everything in the room was the best money could buy, that was one of the pleasures of being royal, of being part of the elite.

"Ah yes, that one," the mother paused, contemplating her next words. "Once upon a time, there was a husband and wife who lived near the ocean. Everyday they went down to the ocean and walked along the shore with the seashells glittering around their feet and the waves brushing against their toes."

The mother paused, drawing a deep breath.

"They were very much in love, and the man ruled over the lands with great pride." The mother could see the dream in her son's eyes, the dream to become just like this man and to have that life. She wanted to laugh. Her son was only seven and he was already dreaming of his future. "The wife dressed in the loveliest silks and satins, her beauty making her shine wherever she went.

"Then one day, an old lady came up to them as they walked along the shore. The old lady begged for money for she was poor. She told them that her son had drowned a month earlier, and therefore she had no one to help her. The man looked at her reluctantly, unsure of whether to give it to her or not. Surely if word got out that he was giving away money, soon more people would come looking for money," the mother paused again, her eyes gazing out over the ocean.

"The old lady continued to beg, and the man promised that he would return the next day and give her some money. The old lady gratefully thanked him and left. When the next day came around, though, the old lady returned to the beach only to find the man nowhere in sight. She waited and waited, but he never came. Intentionally, the man had stayed away from the beach, and did so for a week. After a weeks time, he and his wife decided to go back out and continue their strolls along the beach, believing the old lady would be gone."

The little boy looked up at his mother, waiting for the final part of the story. He clutched the covers under his chin, his eyes drooping slightly, but staying open to catch the rest of the story.

"As they walked along the beach, suddenly the old lady appeared. She said, 'you have deceived me for your own greed. You have tricked me and lied to me, leaving me here to hope. So now I'll leave you here to hope, to hope of a wish to take it back your mistakes.' The man and his wife just looked at her, wondering what she meant. And then the waves washed up over their ankles, dragging them into the ocean. The last thing they heard before they were entrapped under the ocean's surface was the words, 'you shall be free when you truly save someone with your own sacrifice.' After that they forever lived in the ocean, their legs turned into fins and their bodies transformed to survive underwater."

The mother looked at her son, combing her fingers through his hair lightly as his eyes drooped closed. Finally, they shut all the way and remained shut, indicating that he was asleep.

Before getting up, the mother lent down and kissed him on his head while whispering, "Don't ever let greed take over your heart Sasuke."

* * *

"Come on bastard, let's get a move on it," a blond haired man yelled from ahead, glancing over his shoulder and waving at the onyx haired man.

"Slow down dobe, we have all day." The man slowly walked down the cobble stoned pathway towards the beach.

"You're such a slowpoke Sasuke." Sasuke gave him a glare, a swooning sound coming from behind him.

"I'll be slow if I want Naruto," Sasuke retorted, glancing over his shoulder and finding a girl on the ground. Her friends pulled her to her feet and apologized to him, their cheeks flushed. They scurried away, their skirts fluttering around their legs.

"Fine, but I'd like to get to the beach before I turn fifty," Naruto said as he slowed down so that he could walk besides Sasuke. "So have your parents been bugging you about marriage yet?"

"Hn."

"Well, I guess that's a yes, even though I can't think of anyone who'd want to marry you," Naruto laughed out, his blue eyes crinkling in the corners.

"I can think of a bunch who'd want to marry you Naruto." Naruto stared at him in surprise. Sasuke smirked at the apparent thought going through his head, who'd want to marry me?

"Who?" Naruto shook Sasuke's shoulders, backing off when he received a glare. "Who wants to marry me?"

"Well, they don't really have names," Sasuke paused for effect. "Because they're farm animals."

Naruto froze, his eyes narrowing. Then he laughed, his face softening.

"Good one." Naruto snorted. "And you're probably right."

"I always am," Sasuke replied, shoving his hands into his trousers. Like the rest of his clothing, it screamed wealth. And like the rest of his clothing, it bugged the hell out of him. He didn't have a problem wearing it, but they were going to the beach, not the City Hall.

The beach came into sight, making Sasuke smile faintly. Memories came back to him, memories of his Mother, of his childhood, of the past before it all turned to Hell.

Yes, Hell. His Mother's death, his Father's loss of emotion, his brother's enrollment into the army. The crumbling of his life and of everything close to him. The breaking of his heart and abandonment he had to endure.

With a sigh, he shook his head. There was no point in thinking about it, not when they were heading to the beach. Only happy thoughts there, or no thoughts at all. Most likely the latter.

"Ahh, don't you just love the beach bastard?" Naruto asked, taking his shoes off and stepping onto the sand. He tossed his shoes to the side, not worried in the least that they might be stole. No one stole from the wealthy, especially when he was a friend of the King's son.

"Aa," Sasuke paused, ignoring Naruto's exasperated look. "It's nice."

"Nice? What about the sunshine hitting your skin. What about the salty breeze hitting your face. What about the soft warm sand under your feet?" Naruto asked, walking backwards and raising his arms. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the sun hit his tan face and highlight his blond locks.

"It's nice," Sasuke repeated, toeing off his shoes. He tossed them next to Naruto's, tugging off his coat and rolling up his shirt sleeves.

Naruto ran towards the waves, startling some older ladies sitting on a bench nearby. They shook their heads, but smiles remained on their faces. They were poorer—lesser subjects—they wouldn't dare show disapproval towards him, not when he was of higher status.

That was how life was around here. A social latter of money and status, one that wasn't questioned.

Sasuke thought it was all crap, but he didn't mind the status of his family, of himself. It had its advantages, its privileges.

"Come on bastard," Naruto shouted from the water, the bottom of his trousers wet. "Or are you too much of a girl?"

Sasuke glared at him, but nonetheless, he rolled up his trousers to his knees and approached the waves.

This was his haven, a sanctuary of salty breezes and warm sand, of endless ocean and endless serenity. This was his place to think, to calm down when his Father angered him. This was his place to remember his Mother, of her beauty and intelligence and ability to love so much.

The waves brushed against Sasuke's toes, giving him goosebumps. Slowly, he waded into the water. The feeling was extraordinary. The warm sun on his upper body and the cool freshness of the water on his legs. It made him close his eyes and relish in the feeling.

A splash hit him in the chest, surprising him.

"The look on your face," Naruto roared, doubling over as he laughed. He clutched his stomach. The look in Sasuke's face had been great, the shock and disbelief.

Sasuke grunted, staring at Naruto. He waded up to him and kicked him in the ass, sending him flailing into the water.

Seconds later, Naruto sprang up while spitting out water with a "Hey!"

Sasuke ignored him as he waded back to the shore. He pulled his wet shirt away from his chest, wincing at the suction sound it made. Letting go, he smirked as he heard Naruto still shouting behind him. Served him right, the dobe.

* * *

"You what?" Sakura winced as her Father yelled at her, his face turning red. In a matter of seconds, it'd be purple, and then after that she was going to be dead.

"It wasn't for that long Father," Sakura said quietly, lowering her head slightly.

"I don't care how long it was for. I forbade you to go near there, and what do you do?" Her Father paused, drawing up all his anger. "YOU GO NEAR THERE!"

"But it wasn't for that long," Sakura repeated, glaring at him now. It wasn't like she was a little girl anymore, she could handle going to the surface without getting caught.

"I don't care." Sakura winced at the sudden calmness of his voice. "You are forbidden to go past the Reef now."

"But—" Sakura's Father turned his back before she could finish, swimming away without another word. "That's not fair!"

Sakura stared at his back in anger. He couldn't be doing this. The Reef? That was barely a mile away. He was caging her in and she didn't like it one bit.

Turning, Sakura swam out of the entrance way. A current hit her as she swam out of the Courtyard and towards her Cave, the one that was her haven.

Swimming in, she floated there, anger coursing through her. It wasn't fair! It never was, all because of him.

Sakura grit her teeth, feeling the urge to hit something come on. Swinging out her fist, she smashed it into the rock wall harshly. Pain coursed through her fist and up her arm, but she ignored it.

And then the glass orb her Mother had given her fell slowly in front of her, her eyes following it. It clinked against the ground softly, bringing tears to Sakura's eyes.

Sinking down, she wept.

But no one could see her tears, not when they were all cursed to forever live under the ocean's surface. The tears mixed with the water, the only indication of her sadness in her shaking shoulders.

Her fin settled, a bright green against the grey rock floor. It matched her eyes, a vibrant green, like emerald gems. Not that she'd ever seen any, but she'd heard about them.

Her family wasn't the only cursed group trapped in the ocean. The old lady had gotten to many more people, laying her curse on as many people as she could. And they'd all come together to form a large group, to all live together in Hell together.

Sakura frowned, it wasn't exactly Hell. The ocean was beautiful, breathtaking beyond belief, but she wanted to see what was above the surface. She wanted to see the people with two legs, two feet. She wanted to see the buildings made of brick and stone, the trees as they swayed in the wind, and most importantly, she wanted to go to one of those Balls.

There were tales of Grand Balls. Of music and beautiful silky dresses and high heels—for feet, oh the wonders!—and dancing. Sakura wanted to dance, to spin in circles and twirl on her feet and feel her dress flutter around her ankles.

But it was all a dream, a bittersweet dream. Sometimes she wondered if the people above the surface ever wished to live below the surface, if they ever got tired of the things—the wonderful, unthinkable things—that they experienced daily.

Her Father, he called this Hell, his own personal punishment for what he'd done.

All of Sakura's anger dispersed, filled instead with guilt. He was only trying to protect her, but from what she wasn't sure. He was the King of the Seas, at least that was what everyone called him, because he'd brought them all together.

Sometimes, Sakura wished he wasn't the King of the Seas. Sometimes she wished he was something else, a normal Father without all the responsibilities of this horrible curse.

Sometimes, Sakura wished she could wish the curse away. But then again, wishes never came true. If they did, hers would have been answered years ago.

* * *

"Son," a male voice rumbled in front of Sasuke. He continued to stare at his plate, spearing a grape with his fork. "Have you thought about marriage yet?"

"No Father. I don't plan to marry," Sasuke answered firmly, looking up at his Father.

"That's not an option, so I suggest you start looking for a suitable wife," Fugaku Uchiha told him, giving him a glare. The boy was stubborn, more stubborn than any seventeen year old should be.

"I just made it an option."

Fugaku ignored him, placing a piece of meat in his mouth. He said, "What about that Karin girl? She's decent looking and comes from a powerful family."

"No," Sasuke said, pushing back his chair and getting up. "I will not marry, especially to any of those brainless dimwits."

"Sasuke, get back here!" Sasuke walked out of the room, ignoring his Father.

Servants stopped and bowed at him as he walked down the hall. The butler opened the door for him as he walked into the breezy air. The gardener bowed at him as he headed down the cobbled path.

It all disturbed him. He didn't want the attention, not from them. He didn't want to be reminded of this Hell, of the duties he had to do, no matter what his opinions on them were.

The ocean waves could be heard as he headed towards the beach. Girls stopped to stare at him, and the gentlemen nodded at him. Everyone respected him, and sometimes he wished they didn't. Sometimes he wished they hated him, so that he would have a reason to say no, to rebel.

But this was his life. His family status was his life. His Father's demands were his life. These people were his life, this city.

And sadly, all he wanted to do was fuck it all away. Like his brother. The bastard.

His brother hadn't enrolled into the army just for the heck of it. He'd done it to get away from their Father, from their duties, and from the future that neither of them wanted. The throne, the forced marriage, the demands.

The ocean finally came into view, the sunset shining off its surface. The sight was breathless, and it took Sasuke's anger away.

He didn't bother to take off his shoes. He sat down feet away from the swell of the waves, leaning back against his hands.

The surface of the water glinted brightly, making Sasuke sigh. He wished he could go back, back to when his Mother was still alive and his Father still cared about things other than the throne.

But he couldn't, and fucking Hell, it was the worst realization ever.

* * *

"I will not marry him," Sakura exclaimed, shaking her head. "I refuse to, you can't make me."

"Try me," her Father responded, glaring at her. "You will marry him, and I don't care what your opinion is on it."

"No, I won't marry Neji," Sakura yelled, turning and swimming away. "Not when he's dating my best friend. Have her marry him."

"You are marrying him and that is final." Sakura ignored him as she swam out into the courtyard. "And if I have to banish Ten-Ten for that to happen, then I will."

Sakura's insides froze, but she continued to swim away. He would go that far? He would seriously banish Ten-Ten just to get his way? And why couldn't they get married instead? They were clearly in love.

And once again, Sakura's Father was being unreasonable and unfair. It seemed that he was doing that more and more often. Ever since her Mother had died. Without her, he was heartless and only concerned about the people, but not about his own daughter.

Tears welled in her eyes, making her angrier. She quickly swam into her Cave, scolding herself for being such a weakling.

"It's such a hard thing isn't it, to have a Father who doesn't care about you," the old lady paused, swishing her fin lightly. It was a musty grey, like her cold eyes. "His own daughter."

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, eyeing her. "If you haven't noticed, all of us here are already cursed."

"Ahh yes, but they deserved it," the old lady muttered. She raised a bony finger and motioned for Sakura to come closer. "But you, my dear, can remove the curse…for all of you."

"How?" Sakura asked, but she didn't expect much. It was probably a trick. It surprised her though, that the old lady was here, with a fin no less. She didn't think it was possible.

"I will give you seven days, a full week, to do a task for me above the surface." Sakura stared at her, shocked. Above the surface!

"But I don't have legs," Sakura answered, staring down at her fin. It glittered lightly, the scales on it catching the sunlight coming through the holes in the stone walls.

"I will give you legs," the old lady told her, waving her right hand like it wasn't a big deal.

"What is the task?"

"I will tell you after you sign the contract," the old lady responded, waving her hand and a piece of paper emerging. An ink quill appeared next to it, beckoning to Sakura.

"And if I don't complete the task?" Sakura asked, wanting so badly to sign the contract. But it was risky, especially when she didn't know what the task was or the outcome if she failed.

"Then all of you shall forever be cursed to live in the ocean." The old lady shrugged her shoulders lightly. "This is your only chance to lift the curse, your only chance to set your people free to live above the surface again. All for a simple little task."

Sakura hesitated, staring at the contract. This was her chance to save her people, to free them and to free herself. To save Ten-Ten and Neji's relationship. To save her Father from the heartless person he was becoming.

Without a second thought, Sakura grabbed the quill and signed the contract. The moment she let go of the quill, the water swirled around her. Her body felt weird, her fin was tingly and felt different somehow, almost disconnected.

The old lady laughed, and Sakura looked up at her in fear. But the old lady wasn't old anymore, she was young and beautiful, with long flowing black hair and glittering grey eyes.

"Well done Sakura," the woman said, trailing her finger across Sakura's cheek lightly. "Now listen carefully. I want you…to kill Sasuke Uchiha. Do that, and your people will be free."

Sakura gaped at her, but she suddenly found herself unable to breath. She tried to inhale, but all she got was a lungful of water.

"Oh and a little piece of advice," the woman said over her shoulder as she swam to the exit. "You might want to get to the surface soon…before you drown."

Sakura tried to move her fin, but it wouldn't move. Looking down, she found two legs in its place. Two very real looking legs. Two legs that were going to kill her if she didn't get to the surface soon.

Using her arms, Sakura quickly pulled herself to the top of the cave, the rocks scraping her hands as she reached for spots to grab onto. Pushing herself through the hole in the top, she tried to move her legs, but had no clue how.

Someone yelled her name behind her, and two arms were suddenly under her arm. The surface came closer, but Sakura only noticed the burning in her lungs.

They broke the surface. Sakura gulped in air, coughing out water. A soft breeze brushed against her face, making her look around. The beach loomed in the distance, the only land visible.

"Why the hell do you have legs?" Ten-Ten asked, her arms holding up Sakura. Her fin brushed against Sakura's legs, giving her a feeling nostalgia.

"I…made a deal," Sakura paused. "With the old lady, who actually isn't that old at all."

"You made a deal? Are you crazy?" Ten-Ten yelled, letting go of Sakura so that she could wave her arms around for extra affect.

"I had—" Sakura sunk under the surface, flailing her arms to stay a float. She tried to kick her legs, but they felt like jelly.

"Sorry," Ten-Ten said, pulling her back above the surface. "I forgot. It's not everyday your best friend gets legs."

"If I complete the deal, then the curse will lift," Sakura explained, pointing at the beach. "I have to go there and…and kill Sasuke Uchiha."

The words sunk in then. She hadn't really been thinking about it, instead she'd been more worried on not drowning. But now it hit her like a very fast dolphin had just swum into her, and yes, that had happened before. And it hurt, a lot.

"Kill someone," Ten-Ten repeated, staring at her. "You're willing to do that to lift the curse?"

"I have to Ten," Sakura told her, frowning. "It was our only chance to lift the curse."

"There is the whole 'you shall be free when you truly save someone with your own sacrifice' thing, if that's actually true," Ten-Ten said. "Although I'm not really sure if that will actually work or not."

"Exactly, so this is our only chance." Sakura looked back at the beach. "I need to get to the beach…to fulfill my task."

"Okay, but I can only help you so far," Ten-Ten replied, swimming with her arms around Sakura. "Do you even know who this Sasuke person is?"

"No, but I'm going to have to find out soon." Sakura sighed as she failed once again to move her legs. "I only have a week."

"A week!" Ten-Ten exclaimed, stopping suddenly and turning Sakura towards the beach. "This is the farthest I can go. Sunrise is coming soon and there are probably people awake."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you soon," Sakura said. She didn't want to let go of Ten-Ten. She didn't want to let go of the safe haven under the ocean and travel into this unknown world. But she'd made a deal, and this was her only chance, their only chance.

"Good luck," Ten-Ten whispered, sadness evident in her voice. Sakura didn't dare look back for fear of caving in and deciding not to go through with what she was about to do. "And be careful. I plan to see you in a week's time."

"Me too," Sakura told her, slowly swimming with only her arms towards the beach. Once she was out of Ten-Ten's hearing, she muttered, "If I make it back alive."

Her arms started to hurt as she slowly made her way towards the beach. The waves pushed against her back and helped her forwards, but she had to be careful not to get sucked under them. She was able to slowly move her legs as she finally hit the shallow part.

The waves washed over her, making her inhale water. They pounded against her back, going over her head and pushing her down. Using her arms, Sakura dragged herself until she was safely on the beach.

The world spun around her as the sun slowly started to peak over the horizon. Sakura faintly realized that seaweed was washing over her and sticking to the side of her face, but her world turned to black as she drifted off in exhaustion.

* * *

"We just lucked out," one man exclaimed gleefully, staring down at the pink haired girl lying on the sand, unconscious and vulnerable. Waves lapped at her ankles and calves, dragging the seaweed wrapped around her leg back into the ocean. "After all these years, we finally found one!"

"I don't believe my eyes," the second man exclaimed, scratching his head. "Am I dreaming?"

"No Shuji, you're not," the first exclaimed again, crouching down to poke at the soft, pale skin of the girl. "It's a real mermaid. See? Touch her, she's real all right."

Shuji crouched down besides him and softly touched her pink locks. He twirled a piece around his index finger, rubbing it between his fingers before standing up.

"Well I'll be damned, it is," Shuji laughed out. This was their lucky day, they'd just hit the jackpot, the mother load. The dream of becoming rich was just around the corner, and he could smell the money they were about to make big time.

"Should we head over to the Uchiha Castle now or wait?" Kuro asked while he stood up.

"Let's get her cleaned up first and then we can head over. In fact, let's have him come to us. I'm betting he'll be delighted when he sees her tail." Shuji unbuttoned his coat as Kuro lifted the girl. He placed the coat over the girl to hide her as they made their way back towards the cobbled path. "How much do you think he'll pay for her?"

"Dunno, but a lot for sure," Kuro replied, giving him a toothy grim. "And she has soft skin. So whatever he offers, let's raise it some."

"Sounds about right."

* * *

Sakura awoke to find herself on a bed.

Startled, she sat up quickly. Where was she? And why was it pitch black? It had barely been sunrise when she'd fallen unconscious and she couldn't have been out that long.

"Hello darling," a voice said somewhere to her left. "Sorry we had to blindfold you, but we figured it would make things easier."

Sakura froze, her breath coming out short rasps. She suddenly felt the cloth around her eyes. Her shoulders and arms screamed in protest when she went to remove it, the rope around her wrists digging into her skin. With her hands behind her back, she no doubt looked helpless, just like she felt.

A hand brushed a lock of hair away from her face, making her flinch. A chuckle echoed throughout the room as clammy fingers trailed down her cheek.

"You're going to make us rich darling," the man contemplated. "Or should I say mermaid."

"M-mermaid?" Sakura questioned, her lips trembling in fear. She turned her head away from the fingers as they trailed down her neck and stopped at the collar of the large shirt she was wearing.

"Yes, that is what you are." The fingers disappeared and Sakura hoped the man was gone too. "So tell me, where's your mermaid tail?"

"I don't have one," Sakura whispered, turning her head away from the laughter that was suddenly next to her ear.

"If we put you in some water, will it come out?" the man asked excitingly.

Sakura shook her head no, her head jerking around when she was pulled to her feet. The man grunted when she fell to her knees, quickly hauling her back to her feet and dragging her across the room. She struggled, pleading and telling them that she didn't have a tail, that she wasn't a mermaid.

"Let's see that tail of yours," the man demanded, shoving Sakura into a tub filled with cold water. The shirt quickly soaked through, leaving little protection against the ice cold water that burned at her skin.

"I don't have a tail!" Sakura screamed, trying to get up out of the tub. Her legs collapsed under her weight and sent her lurching under the surface. The side crashed against her skull, leaving a painful throb that made her inhale water.

Sakura wasn't sure what happened next, but the hand holding her down was suddenly gone and she could breathe again. Shouts could be heard around her as she attempted to get out of the tub.

"I don't have a tail," Sakura cried out as two sets of hands grabbed her under her armpits and hoisted her out of the tub.

"I know you don't," a low, anger laden voice told her, scraping against her skin as she struggled to regain her breath. Calloused fingers brushed against her cheeks, making her flinch. The cloth around her eyes abruptly loosened as her wrists were freed from the tight rope.

Her body shook with chills, so hard that her muscles locked up and her teeth ground together in an effort to stop them from chattering.

"Someone get her a blanket," the man in front of her demanded. Once the blanket was around her shoulders, he started to rub her arms quickly to warm her up.

"Who are you?" was the first thing Sakura asked when she had stopped shaking. Morning light spilled through the window weakly. They were in the bathroom, her and this handsome, mysterious man. Looking into his eyes, she found them to be the blackest black she'd ever seen.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he responded, helping her to her feet. "What's your name?"

Sakura bit her lip, unhappy with the name he'd given her. She hardly wanted to kill her savior, not when she owed him.

"Sakura," she said softly, cautiously taking a step and relieved when her legs held her up. The next step proved successful and soon she was out of the bathroom and in a long, wooden hallway that was void of people. A long row of pictures, some framed, and some not, lined the walls. All of them were of fish and the ocean. "What happened to those two men?"

Sasuke led her down the hallway and took a left, leading them out into a grand foyer. "They're being brought to jail."

"Good," Sakura muttered, her face heating up when she glanced up at Sasuke. She reigned her sudden anger under control. "They thought I was a mermaid and nearly drowned me. They deserve it."

"I didn't believe them. Should we send for your parents?" he asked. Sakura watched as he took in her soaked form before signaling for some drying clothes. One of the men in the room hurried over to them and handed Sakura a bundle of clothes. The man then led her into one of the empty bedrooms.

Sakura didn't want to be left alone in the bedroom, but she knew that none of the men could come in and it would be better to get out of her wet clothes. As she changed, she came up with a story that would explain why her parents were in the town and how she'd come to be kidnapped. It wouldn't look good if she said that she'd come from the ocean.

Emerging from the bedroom, she found Sasuke leaning against the wall across from the door. As they went back the way they'd come, Sakura told him her story. Sasuke seemed skeptical as she explained that her parents were dead and the two men had kidnapped her while she'd been down at the beach.

"So you need a place to stay until you find your own?" he asked, not seeing Sakura's cringe. She felt like he was ensuring his murder, even if she hadn't even thought about it.

"I guess," she hesitantly said.

"We have plenty of rooms up at the house—"

"I don't want to intrude," Sakura cut him off, praying that he'd leave it at that. She figured she could somehow sneak into his house at night and kill him without the pain of having been his friend. If she were to kill him after pretending to be his friend, she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to live with herself.

"I insist."

Sakura nodded solemnly as she crumbled inside. He'd just insisted that she stay at his house, and within one week, he'd be dead. For the sake of her people and the curse, she didn't tell him that he'd just made the biggest mistake of his life.

* * *

If anyone can guess where the italic line under the title at the top is from then I'll give him/her a preview of the next chapter of either No Longer Weak or Sangreal.

Thanks for reading! Encouragement is nice. Really nice. Extremely nice. (:


	6. Autumn

Update #3.62

Just a reminder: I AM ALIVE. Good, now that that is established, let's get to the good stuff. Once again, I am very busy and I know this story is probably not the one you want updated, but it's better than nothing, right? (: Enjoy!

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_She would always remember autumn and how her hopes rose and fell like the leaves in the wind._

They met in autumn as the leaves fell from the sky. It was during their freshman year of college. Their majors were polar opposites, mirroring their personalities.

Sakura found it ironic. She would have even said that opposites attracted, but life wasn't that nice to her.

He was a business major with a quiet and headstrong personality.

She was going into the medical field and had a bubbly and bright smile.

When they'd met, he'd accidentally run into her while trying to catch a football. Of course, she'd seen it coming and caught it, but he'd seen her too late.

Maybe that was why she left in the end…because he'd seen her too late.

* * *

He was dating her archenemy, a red headed girl named Karin who had glasses the size of her face. But she was still pretty in an odd sort of way.

Karin was mean to her, but it wasn't surprising. Sakura was always doing better in biology, and always managed to save their virtual patients. Karin's virtual patients always bled out.

It didn't please Sakura that he was dating Karin. Although it was mean, Sakura knew that Sasuke was too good for her. Ever since she'd seen Karin kissing some other guy, she'd known that Karin didn't deserve him, she never had.

Maybe that was why Sakura was okay when Sasuke had cheated on Karin with her. He deserved someone better, even if she wasn't the best.

* * *

Ino had warned her, had told her to move on and stop chasing after the one guy that was unavailable.

But Sakura hadn't listened because she'd believed Karin wouldn't be around forever, that their relationship wouldn't last forever. It wasn't until she'd learned that it was an arranged marriage that she realized it was.

That night, it replayed over and over again. The happy look on Karin's face as she told Sakura it was arranged, the pleasure at seeing the pain in Sakura's eyes, played through her mind like a broken record.

The tears hadn't come, giving Sakura a hidden satisfaction. At least she wouldn't be weak.

By maybe she'd been the weakest of all because she'd given into her heart and had ignored her common sense.

* * *

Three autumns had passed, each one more painful than the last. Sakura knew that he was pushing off the wedding as much as possible, but college was coming to an end and it was time to start living life.

She wasn't sure why she put herself through this. Maybe it was love, or maybe it was because she desperately wished he'd realize that she was the _one. _Why couldn't he see that she should be the one walking down the aisle, not Karin?

When the invitations did go out, Sakura's finally broke. Even he couldn't hold off the inevitable forever.

Sakura just wished that things could change. If she had one wish, she'd wish that she was in Karin's spot and that Karin wasn't in the picture.

* * *

It was the last party of their college lives. Ino had dragged her to it, ignoring her complains of the dress being too short and the heels too high. Of course Ino wouldn't take any of that and continued to drag her to the party.

When they got there, Sakura wasn't so upset when she found him alone. They danced and had fun. He even smiled a couple of times, a rare feat now with so much about to happen, his obsidian orbs twinkling in the flashing disco lights.

And that's when things got heated. There was no alcohol involved, no drugs, no revenge seeking. It was just them and the sudden repressed feelings that sprung to the surface.

His lips were slightly cracked but perfect nonetheless. As she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging and pulling harshly, she wished that this moment would last forever.

All thought escaped her when his hands touched her body. One hand slowly moved down the naked curve of her spine, the other grasping her bony hip.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle as they fell onto his bed with a soft plop. At that moment, she was glad he'd decided on a singles room.

It wasn't long until they were feverishly grasping at each other. Her legs wound around his hips tightly as he made the huge bubble of emotions burst inside of her. Countless times she burst, each time growing more and more in love with him.

"I love you Sasuke," she whispered through thoroughly kissed lips, too low for him to possibly hear as he kissed her neck and collarbone.

Afterward he clung to her, whispering her name over and over with an emotion that made her want to cry in both happiness and pain. When morning came, it would be her responsibility to leave and let him continue on with his life.

And that was what she did. No strings attached, no grudge against him, nothing. Inside she felt hollow. She couldn't ask for anything more because she'd gotten what she'd wanted: his love. But she knew that it was only for that night because he was being forced to marry someone else.

* * *

Her parents called her up in New York City. They asked why she wasn't going to the wedding.

Sakura didn't have the heart to tell them that she couldn't bear to watch the person that she loved marry someone else. It brought her little satisfaction that he was having no part in organizing the wedding.

Her mother described the dress to Sakura and explained that the cake was being made by one of the best bakers in the country. It didn't help that she also started to describe his tux and that Karin was turning the Grand Plaza Hotel into the best wedding of the century.

Sakura told her mother that she didn't care. Her mother told her that she did, but was just jealous.

And Sakura knew she was true.

Her parents told her that she had to go, that she had to support Karin. And just like that, Sakura was going to the wedding because she had to support her sister no matter what…even if she hated her.

* * *

"It's positive," Sakura muttered, scratching her cheek angrily. "That's the seventh one."

"But there was one negative," Ino reminded her, taking another pregnancy test out of the box. She handed a bottle of water to Sakura and demanded that she start drinking.

Sakura put the water bottle on the bathroom counter and looked at Ino. "But seven of them were _positive _Ino. And all the signs are there. I've been throwing up for the past two weeks."

"Those seven might be faulty and the negative one might be correct," Ino countered, throwing the pregnancy test into the sink and sitting on the rim of the bathtub. "We should see a doctor."

"Yes, because not only do I want a little piece of plastic telling me I'm pregnant, but I also want some doctor confirming it with a bunch of tests," Sakura muttered, letting her head fall into her hands.

"Well, it's not like you've had sex in a while," Ino said, her blue eyes snapping to Sakura when she didn't respond. "Right?"

"I'm pregnant Ino," Sakura whimpered, looking up at Ino as tears slowly started to trail down her cheeks. "I'm pregnant and the father is getting married to someone else."

"You didn't," Ino hesitantly asked, moving to kneel in front of Sakura. "Please tell me you didn't."

"I can't," Sakura whispered. "In nine months I'm going to have a baby with black hair and black eyes and you'll know I lied."

Ino started to cry and together they shared the pain in Sakura's heart. Nine months later, Ino was still by her side and shouting at her to push.

But Sakura was wrong. She did have a baby, but he had black hair and green eyes. And right there and then she knew that he would grow up to look and be just like his father. That only made her love her son more even if she understood how pathetic she had become.

* * *

Sakura's mother was right in saying that it would be the wedding of the century. But Sakura knew that it wasn't because of Karin. Karin had hired a wedding planner, so all the credit went to her and her skills, not Karin.

As she walked into the church, an orangish red leaf fell in front of her face. She watched as it fell, her brows furrowing as memories replayed themselves in her mind.

Once inside, she quickly found her parents. They quietly asked where Kiyoshi was and how he was. They weren't mad, just sad that their daughter was going through something so painful. Nothing, though, would dampen their happiness that their eldest daughter was getting married.

Sakura just smiled and said that Ino was watching him during the ceremony.

Ino had been delighted to watch him, but not so delighted to be at the wedding. Of course, she'd loved shopping for a dress, but it was a bittersweet shopping spree.

Sakura had been unable to resist putting Kiyoshi in a white tux and it had been worth it. Being the angel that he was, he managed not to dirty it. Sakura then found out that he was a ladies man, finding all the women swarmed around Ino and him in delight.

As Sakura waited in the back for the ceremony to start, Sasuke approached her. After a quick hug that made Sakura's stomach flutter, he questioned about the kid that Ino had.

When she didn't respond, he turned to her and repeated the question. The confusion was evident in his eyes. No doubt he was comparing the little boy with his own features.

His eyes widened when he saw the green eyes. The gears in his mind clicked, making Sakura flinch.

Everything was a blur after that. With her ugly purple bridesmaid dress fluttering around her legs, she did the only thing she could think of: she ran.

* * *

Her parents didn't yell at her when they called two days later. Sakura knew that there was something they were holding back, but she was too emotionally and physically tired to even try to figure out what it was.

Ino came by to help Sakura take care of Kiyoshi. It was a relief to be able to relax, even when her mind wouldn't shut up.

Kiyoshi didn't stop talking about the wedding and the pretty cake. When he asked what the two people at the top were, Sakura told him that they were his grandparents. She didn't have the heart to say that it was Sasuke and Karin.

The ugly red hair painted on the bride didn't help either, but Sakura hadn't stuck around for the reception. She was glad she hadn't stuck around for the wedding either, no matter how guilty she felt.

Kiyoshi squealed when someone knocked on the door. He ran towards it and started to pound of the door in imitation of the person on the other side.

Sakura pulled him away from the door and opened it. On the other side stood the one person she expected to see the least.

He only smiled when she asked about his honeymoon. Her heart dropped into her stomach at the smile, making her frown.

"We didn't go," he told her, shrugging as he stepped into the apartment. "Karin decided that New Zealand wasn't good enough—"

"I'm sorry. You had it booked and everything."

"—and I decided that she wasn't good enough."

"Huh…—wait, what?" Kiyoshi suddenly yelled and launched himself at Sasuke, wrapping his small arms around his legs.

"Daddy! Daddy!" he screamed, giving Sasuke a toothy grin.

Sakura could only watch in amazement as Sasuke scooped up Kiyoshi and ruffled his hair.

"I'm not going anywhere Kiyoshi," he told Kiyoshi, looking directly at Sakura. "Not when I belong here."

Outside golden red leaves fell from the sky, baring the trees and preparing them for winter. As the leaves fell, they witnessed the beginning of a painful and long relationship that finally ended with happiness.


	7. Brave

Hi! Here's another random piece of writing I never got around to making into a full story. Typical me. No, not Despicable Me.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language, violence, and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is part of the **Titan!fic** series. This is the beginning part. I'm trying to go in order with the different series so you don't find out the ending before the beginning.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_The only time you can be brave is when you're afraid._

The sky rumbled a ferocious grey, lightening brightening the sky every other minute. The wind whipped around madly, threatening to destroy anything and everything in its path. Mother's clutched their children and closed their windows, trying to shut out the outside world and madness that it held.

The day had come, the day that would end all the rest to come.

From the balcony of one of the most known castles in the world, a blond haired man of no more than twenty stared at the sky before dropping his head. His face was lit up for a moment as lightening tore through the sky, revealing ire filled blue eyes and a mouth set in a frown.

With eyes the color of the ferocious ocean, Naruto stared at the sky in anger and despair.

Known to everyone, the Titans were at war with the mankind as of today. It had taken decades, centuries even, for the jealousy, the anger, the greed, to take over and make them turn against their own creation.

"This is just a game to them," Naruto told his companion who stood next to him whom he had known since they were little boys. "They don't care if most of us don't want a war."

"We shouldn't get involved," he remarked, coming to stand next to him on the balcony. His pale hands rested on the marble balcony rail, the wind rustling his hair and blowing his black locks into his eyes.

"They destroyed our homes, our town," Naruto argued, turning to him, his eyes glinting determinedly.

"Don't be a moron," Sasuke said with a frown, he stared out over the lands that stretched for miles, seemingly in their reach from the balcony. From that balcony anything seemed possible, the world lying at their feet. But certain things weren't possible, certain things that Naruto thought they could accomplish. Certain things that could end in failure and failure meant death.

"Don't be a coward," Naruto yelled over the wind. "They were our friends. They didn't hesitate to crush our town, they'll do it again, to more innocent people. Don't you care at all about that? We were raised to help others with our swords. Are you going to just walk away and let the Titans destroy them, and sooner or later, us?"

Sasuke sighed heavily, his eyes flickering to Naruto and staring at him as though he was crazy. For a moment, Sasuke honestly believed he was, but then he stared out over the rooftops of the houses below and the ocean in the distances.

Did it make him a coward if he believed that they couldn't do anything to end this war? Even if the Titans had smashed their village like it was a small ant and nothing more?

A small nagging voice in his head told him that he was. He was a pathetic coward who was giving up easily because he didn't have a plan. It told him that he was abandoning his town and the revenge that Sasuke and Naruto owed them.

"Do you have a plan?" Sasuke asked hesitantly, his knuckles tightening on the rail as he prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"Not yet, but if we find the three witches…" Naruto trailed off, his blue eyes searching Sasuke's face for a hint of rejection. "They'll tell us how to end the war."

The lightening loomed closer as Sasuke restrained himself from walking away from Naruto.

"Fine," he breathed out heavily, his shoulders stiff.

It took Naruto a second to comprehend what Sasuke had said. Sasuke had actually agreed with him.

"Alright! Let's go get ready," Naruto exclaimed while he puffed out his chest and headed for the balcony door. "We're going to be heroes."

Sasuke shook his head and followed Naruto, not having the willpower to tell Naruto that this wasn't another simple mission. This was as real as it got, and there was a very large chance that they might not come home. Most heroes didn't.

* * *

The King stared at them with the same look Sasuke had given Naruto earlier. It was the 'you're crazy' look.

"You do realize that we're in the middle of a war with the Titans?" the King questioned seriously, his eyes moving back and forth between Sasuke and Naruto as his mind tried to comprehend their demand.

"Yes, sir," Naruto responded firmly, staring the King in the eye bravely.

"And we need all the soldiers we have," the King continued, his eyebrows rising as Naruto took a step closer.

"And we have a plan to end the war," Naruto explained, his hands waving as he talked. Sasuke was tempted to smack him in the back of his head so that he'd stop. "If we end the war, there won't be any more need for soldiers. Just spare us a couple."

The King shook his head, his crown not moving on the top of his head. "I'm sorry son, but we need the soldiers. And we have the war under control, so go back to your family and let us worry about it."

Sasuke grit his teeth as an insult worked its way up his throat. He wanted to call the old man foolish and ignorant. They were here to help and he believed that they were merely peasants' sons looking for glory.

"Do you think that half of your soldiers have the fighting skills that we do?" Sasuke demanded as he also stepped forward, his eyes challenging the King to answer.

"Or the courage?" Naruto added with a grin.

"Ha! Do you even know which way to hold a sword son?" the King joked and then broke into laughter.

"We were trained by Kakashi," Naruto informed the King proudly, tapping the sword strapped to his belt. "I'm sure you know him."

The King faltered in his laughter, his eyes widening as he stared at Naruto and then Sasuke. His left hand twisted the rings on his right hand as his eyes took in Sasuke and Naruto in a new light.

"Kakashi, you say?" the King asked softly.

"Hn." Sasuke raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Well, that changes things." The King wiped at his forehead before turning and sitting on his throne. "And why do you want to end the war and help _this_ city, again?"

"Oh, we don't want to help this city," Naruto informed him, missing the way the King's face dropped in disappointment. "The Titans destroyed our town and we want revenge. Oh, and we want to be heroes too."

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. "No, that's only you moron."

The King roared with laughter as he said, "Heroes, eh? Well in that case I'm afraid I can't send any soldiers with you cause they'll never return to their families."

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "You just had to say it."

Naruto stared at the King in disbelief as he asked, "Did you miss everything else I said? The Titans tore through our town and killed thousands of people! We're doing it for our friends and family and kin."

The King got up and started for a side door. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, boy, but it's just not possible. If you had a few more years, a few more wars, and a few more victories on you I would be glad to spare a few, but you don't. It would be a foolish move." And then the King was gone.

Naruto sighed, his shoulders slumped, and turned to Sasuke. "I guess it's just you and me."

With a frown, Sasuke stared at the golden throne the King had just been sitting on. While he hated the King for not hearing them out, he knew Naruto had not worded their plead too well.

They turned and left the throne room, passing guards with embroidered silver capes and armor encrusted with gold. Some of the guards watched them as they passed while others ignored them completely, deeming them not a threat.

They were in the courtyard just inside the entrance, the moon overhead, when a voice called out to them to wait. They turned to find a hooded figure running towards them. The figure stopped right in from of them.

"I wish to go with you," a female voice said as a slender hand pulled back the hood, revealing deep green eyes and pink hair the color of pink roses.

Naruto's eyes widened and Sasuke snorted.

"I think I heard you wrong, what did you just ask?" Naruto asked.

"I wish to go with you," she repeated, unclasping the cape from around her neck and rolling it up. She pulled the leather pack from her back and placed it inside before putting the pack back on. Wearing boiled leather, travel boots, and a sword at her hip, she was as prepared as they were.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he took the sight in. Never before had he heard of a girl wanting to join them on their journeys. Well, with a mental shake of his head, plenty of girls had asked to join him, but they had all been wearing court dresses and the only idea of journey they had were to his bed.

This girl looked like she had no intention of joining their group just for the idea of a good night. She looked ready for battle, except for the armor part.

"You have no armor," Sasuke informed her and nodded back the way she had come. "Go back to bed and maybe next time you can join us when you have the right supplies."

The girl glared at him. "Do not treat me like a child. My armor is in my pack. I didn't want any guards questioning me if they saw it, but as it turns out, the guards here are even more daft than the ones back home."

"Where we're going, there will be worse things than _guards_ and your parents." Sasuke watched as her eyes darkened, rivaling his own.

"I know where you're going. I heard your conversation with the King. You want to stop the Titans, but first, you'll need to find the three witches," she told him in a tone as sharp as the edge of his sword. "The journey is dangerous and filled with rogues. I'm not afraid. I've dealt with the likes of them before, not that it concerns you any."

"It concerns me greatly if you want to come with me."

"Not just you, but your friend also. He counts as a vote too, and from the look on his face I think he's on my side," she countered like a parry, a smirk on her face.

"What's your name?" Naruto interrupted their verbal spar, a smile on his lips.

"Sakura Haruno," she answered.

Sasuke scoffed and eyed her with a look of distrust. Naruto held up a hand to quiet Sasuke and stepped closer to Sakura, his eyes narrowed.

"Lord Haruno's daughter, eh? As far as we know, he's rooting for the Titans—"

"Him and him alone."

"—and finding out his daughter is on the opposing side will send him into a fury. It will dent his pride and he will be sure to fix it any way he can."

Sakura shrugged and hoisted the pack higher on her back. "He has other things to worry about right now."

"Like what?" Sasuke asked in challenge.

"The surrounding kingdoms are all turning against him because he's siding with the Titans. He'll be busy preventing invasions and spies and other trickery. I'm the least of his worries right now."

"Well, in that case, I vote she comes with us," Naruto exclaimed with a clap of his hands. "Now that that's decided, let's go."

Sasuke grabbed his pack as he tried to walk off, yanking him back.

"Not so fast. Just because she has a sword doesn't mean she can fight," Sasuke told him, glaring at him when he scoffed and waved his hand in disinterest.

"Master Kakashi trained me. If that isn't enough, Tsunade took over training me after he had to leave." She pulled out her sword from its sheath and settled into a fighting stance. "But if you would like me to prove it right now, I'd be more than happy to."

Sasuke stealthily pulled out a dagger from the folds of his leather and threw it at her, watching with faint surprise as she slashed the sword upwards and deflected it easily.

With a raised eyebrow she said, "I hope that isn't all you have. If it is, I'll go find another group."

Sighing, Sasuke reasoned that she should be pretty good if Kakashi trained her. Deflecting the dagger could have just been luck, but her confidence in her skills caused a small part of him to nag that it might not have been luck, but countless hours of training and being yelled at and being told her form was all wrong and her arms needed to be angled just so and that the bruises were better than a chopped off arm. He would know, he had lived through it himself.

"Fine," Sasuke said at last, his fingers rubbing between his eyes as he went to retrieve his dagger.

Naruto fist pumped the air as Sakura put her sword away.

As Sasuke came back he warned, "If you become a hindrance, though, we will leave you behind."

"Really? And here I was afraid you guys would be the burden and _I_ would have to leave _you_ behind."


	8. Emerge

I know I've been MIA lately. I just started college, tried out for the college tennis team, just found out I didn't make it, and am about to start classes so thank you for being patient. I tried to post something a little more juicy so the wait would be worth it.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not** part of a series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_Fell to the ground in a haze of black feathers._

I closed the door to my house, locking and bolting the door quickly. I felt like I was in a daze, but then my mind cleared suddenly as it all sunk it.

Sasuke wanted to kill me. No wonder he was everywhere I was, all the time. He was waiting for the right moment to take me out, when no one else would notice or see anything.

I went into the kitchen, pulling out a cup and filling it with water. I took a large gulp, hoping to calm my nerves a little. That didn't happen.

Putting the cup in the sink, I headed up to my room and changed into a pair of my comfiest pajamas. The shorts had little strawberries on them, and the long sleeved shirt was red and reassuring. Wearing them, I almost felt like everyone was fine, like everything was normal.

The front door opened downstairs, making me freeze.

"Sakura?" Sasuke's voice filtered through the floorboards, making my heart jump into my throat.

How would I get out of the house without him knowing? I looked behind me towards the window where the moonlight filtered in. I guess I was climbing down the tree.

"Sakura?" Sasuke's voice repeated as I heard him move into the living room downstairs, the light flicking on and emitting a glow that I could see faintly outside my window.

It was now or never. Die now, or die later. Dying later definitely sounded better at the moment.

I turned around and before I could move out of the way, my foot caught on the corner of the bed and sent me sprawling on the floor. My knees burned as I got to my feet, running to the window.

Downstairs footsteps approached the stairs, the pace hurried.

The window was open and I was halfway out it when Sasuke got to the top of the stairs. The tree towered over my house, its branches reaching out towards me like helping hands.

'Now or never' kept repeating in my head as I shakily eased myself off the window's ledge and onto the branch. I could feel the sweating and shaking of my hands as I slowly walked down the branch towards the trunk.

"What the hell are you doing Sakura?" Sasuke yelled from the window, half leaning out of it and reaching for me, but I was too far away.

I didn't look back as I touched the trunk and slowly started to lower myself down the tree, branch by branch.

And then something was cracking, and before I could react I lost my footing and fell backwards. I felt the branches cut at my exposed skin, but the only thought was that I was going to pancake myself into the ground. I was going to hit the ground and die, and give Sasuke exactly what he wanted.

I heard a yell from above me, and arms were suddenly wrapped around me, holding me tightly to a solid and familiar body.

We stopped moving, but the world kept spinning as I stared up at Sasuke. I tried to step away, but my knees gave out from under me as fear and shock coursed through me.

Sasuke held only me tightly, making me realize that his shirt was hanging off of him in shreds.

"Your shirt…" I trailed off as I stared behind him, my eyes held captive and no doubt wide as one of the plates in the kitchen cabinet.

One of my hands trailed up his back and touched the feathered edge of one of his wings, making him swear and shudder.

He turned me around and marched me back into the house, leading me into the kitchen. His hand remained on my back and I knew he was afraid I'd bolt. But I knew it was pointless, that he could catch me with one flap of his wings.

When I finally was able to look at him, the wings were gone and my mind was starting to work again. I broke out of his grip, startling him as he reached for me, but I side stepped his hands and put distance between us.

The counter felt smooth and cool as I placed one hand on it, steadying myself and trying to steady my emotions. It was a reassurance, a pointless one, but I felt safer with something between us.

Sasuke looked me straight in the eyes. I wanted to drown in them, to forget everything and rewind the clocks back to the beginning when everything was fine and my biggest fear was the test I had the next day and had forgotten to study for.

"You have wings," I started, staring at the space over his shoulder where wings had been a minute before. My eyes snapped back to his before taking in his torn shirt. "And you're claiming to be my guardian angel, when someone else told me you're trying to kill me!"

"I'm not trying to kill you _Sakura_." I ignored the warning in his tone, but I couldn't ignore the way he said my name. The way it rolled off his tongue made my knees weak. Hell, everything he said made my knees weak. "Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter when I have a reason to fear for my life," I responded to him. No way was I going to change the subject. I was making a breakthrough here, especially when he refused to ever tell me anything other than what everyone else already knew.

"You have no reason to fear for your life around me." He came closer, but I quickly moved around the island the same distance he did, making him stop his advance. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Says you, but who knows what you'll be saying when I'm lying dead on the floor two minutes from now," I told him, grabbing a knife from the counter behind me.

"You won't be lying dead two minutes from now." He eyed the knife, but the look in his eyes wasn't fear, it was a predatory look. "You won't be lying dead thirty years from now."

He started towards me again, going around the left side of the island as I moved around the right side. The glint of the knife caught his attention again, drawing it away from me long enough for me to turn around and run for the front door.

To say I didn't make it far was an understatement. I barely made it three feet before Sasuke grabbed my arm and stopped me.

The knife clattered to the floor as Sasuke pressed me up against the wall. I tried to kick him, to punch him, but his body was too close to mine for me to do any damage.

"Stop it, Sakura," Sasuke ordered, holding my wrists in one of his hands while he pressed his body against mine to stop my struggling. Something ignited in his eyes, scaring me and making my stomach flutter at the same time. "It's not what you think."

"I don't know what to think anymore," I admitted as I stared at the wall to my left. I could feel my chest heaving up and down, pressing into Sasuke's with each breath.

"Do you think I would ever hurt you?" He asked as his free hand slid up my neck softly and pulled my face around so that he could look into my eyes. I felt his thumb caress the underside of my jaw, below my ear, as his breath fanned my face.

I wanted to sink into the wall, to get away from him, and press up against him and cling to him at the same time. How could I be feeling two completely opposite things, especially when I was defenseless and pressed up against a man who supposedly wanted to kill me?

And then his hand was in my hair as he kissed me. His lips were smooth and hard as they blocked the protests that bubbled up my throat, terrifying me and making me want to shiver in pleasure at the same time. His other hand released my wrists and moved down the side of my body, leaving goosebumps behind. It rested on my hip, pulling my closer until there was no space left between our bodies.

"I will never hurt you," he mumbled as he pulled away, his lips still touching mine. And then they were firmly pressed against mine again, until I bit his lip with enough force to leave a mark.

He pulled away slowly, his teeth biting into my lower lip lightly until he let go. His eyes were clouded with desire, making me scared at all the possibilities which could play out and all the possibilities I wanted to be played out.

I couldn't help but watch him as he licked his upper lip, suppressing the coil of heat which ran through my stomach and then lower.

"Did you just bite me?" Sasuke's mouth tilted upwards into a dark smile. He didn't wait for me to respond, and I realized he was baiting me. "I bite back you know."

"Let go of me," I told him as I tried to squeeze out from between the wall and his deliciously hard body.

"No, not until you believe I won't hurt you." He pressed my body against the wall, caging me. He leaned closer, pressing his lips against my pulse. I tilted my head upward, but refused to admit it was because I was giving him more access.

As his lips skimmed down the curve of my neck, I felt his fingers drift up my sides and move my shirt to the side. I tried to ignore the feel of his lips moving across my shoulder but a tingling seemed to follow his lips wherever they went.

"Ow!" I yelped, clutching his arms as he soothed the red skin with his tongue. He pulled back to look at me, his eyebrows rising wickedly as his lips twisted into an amused smirk.

"I told you, I bite back."

* * *

Feedback would be nice. I need some cheering up and motivation. The self-pity will die out soon, don't worry, and then I'll be back on track but very busy. Sorry in advance.


	9. Survive

It's been so long, I know. If I wrote every time I had time I would have finished all of my stories plus have some new ones out there, but I don't. I'm sorry, really I am, but I'm taking 20 credits (7 classes), rushing a sorority, and working on a novel. It's a lot, I know, and I try squeeze in writing but it's a lot harder when my free time I spend sleeping. And so I'm posting this to hold you guys over. I finished this over studying for Chinese and now I have to cram for that, yay, but this is a "thank you" for being patient.

Wow, I sound like a broken record. Sorry for not updating, sorry for being busy, sorry for life, sorry for sounding like a broken record!

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not** part of any series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_She never saw the bullet coming or the man who saved her._

Sakura slid around the corner of the building and crawled onto the large green dumpster. With an outstretched hand she grabbed onto the rusty ladder and pulled herself up, her foot finding the bottom rung solidly.

Silently she climbed the ladder until she was on the roof. The moon hung low in the sky, ascending towards the starts slowly but surely, its fullness providing decent lighting for Sakura as she ran from rooftop to rooftop.

In the distance she could make out a figure leaning against the leg of a large water tank, hidden in the shadows. It didn't move as if it was rooted to the spot by the black hands of the darkness, forever ensnared.

Without hesitation, Sakura came to a stop in front of the shadowed figure.

"Took you long enough," the figure said, emerging from the shadows in all black. The only color was her red hair, blood red in the moonlight.

Sakura scoffed, ignoring the annoyed look on Karin's face when she heard the sound, and retorted, "I would bet the largest of the diamonds we're about to steal that you just got here."

"Who said you'd be getting the largest diamond?" Karin asked with a sharp edge to her voice, her eyes narrowed behind her black framed glasses.

Staring at Karin, Sakura saw the angry, cynical side of Karin that was becoming more and more prevalent. With an internal sigh, Sakura didn't bother to respond and turned, heading for the edge. She kneeled down and started clipping in the pulleys, winding the rope through them and then securing the rope to the small metal loops they had put in the cement rooftop days before.

When she was finished, Sakura stood and clipped in the rope to her harness. She lowered herself over the edge, her last sight the starry sky and Karin's pensive face. With care and precision she lowered herself, glancing over her shoulder at the building next door every now and then.

About halfway down the building, Sakura stopped the descent and flipped around so she was facing the other building. Looking at the smooth surface, she found a small window up a little ways across from her. Wondering at her luck, Sakura inhaled deeply, steeled her stomach to not drop, and pushed off the wall as hard as she could. She swung forward on the rope, gritting her teeth when her heart jumped into her throat, and reached for the window's ledge. Her fingers wrapped around the edge and she breathed out in relief.

"Unhook the rope!" Karin demanded in her ear, the earpiece cackling slightly before becoming sharp again. "It'll—"

Sakura grunted as the rope became taunt and threatened to pull her backwards. One hand slipped off the sill while her other hand gripped the edge hard, trying to keep its hold.

Reaching back, she unhooked the rope and felt her body fall, slamming against the wall painfully as she dangled there with four fingers keeping her from splatting all over the sidewalk. With a groan, she pulled herself up onto the windowsill, her one arm tired and her fingers cramped, and worked on unlocking it.

There was a click and it slid open easily. She caught sight of the small holes near the bottom and carefully slid in over them.

With a huff, Karin landed on the windowsill and slid through, careful to avoid the sensors at the bottom.

Sakura turned and took in the office. She went over to the desk and looked through the drawers while Karin tapped away on the computer.

"We're in," Karin said over the tapping of the keys, turning to Sakura as Sakura pulled out a small safe from the back of a filing cabinet. Pulling out the small necessary tools, she set to unlocking it, hearing the satisfactory click. The safe opened and inside laid a golden key with a crystal top as though it was made of diamond.

"Let's go." Sakura headed for the door, Karin following behind. They slid out of the office and down the hallway, sticking to the shadows, using them as hoods to hide their faces, their features, their identification.

An elevator stood at the end of the hallway and they headed for it. The marble floor reflected the dim lighting and the sound of their boots.

"You disabled the security cameras, right?" Sakura asked as her eyes found the cameras hidden in the cobweb shadows, in the paintings, next to the elevators.

Karin scoffed and murmured, "What do you take me for? A novice? Of course I disabled them all."

Pulling out a scanner, Karin held it over the keypad and read the heat signature. She hooked it into the keypad and punched in the five numbers that had glowed red. The scanner's screen scrambled the numbers in every combination, feeding it to the keypad until the keypad beeped softly and the elevator doors opened.

A red light whirred to life on the elevator's ceiling and both of them ducked to the side just as the light of the elevator came on.

"I thought you said you got all of them," Sakura hissed to Karin quietly, pulling out her gun from its leg holster and spinning on the silencer. She pulled on a ski mask and unlocked the safety, flying into the elevator opening and taking out the camera with one shot.

"That must run on a separate system," Karin muttered, stepping into the elevator and punching the second floor button. The tenth floor number dimmed and the ninth floor number lit up. "It wasn't in the computer's system."

Sakura pulled off the ski mask. "At least we weren't seen. I don't get how robbers can wear these things. They're scratchy and hard to breathe in."

Karin rolled her eyes. Before she could say anything the door slid open and they stepped out.

With wide eyes, Sakura looked around. Diamonds and rubies and sapphires gleamed from beneath glass boxes and laser grids. It never ceased to amaze her the way the jewels shone under the spotlights as darkness shrouded around them.

Something caught her eye, a pink glow from the corner of the room. Walking over to it, Sakura smiled at the irony of the crystal cherry blossom encrusted with rubies and emeralds. With a nod, she decided this was what she was going to take.

Pulling the backpack off her shoulders, Sakura pulled out the necessary tools. She held up the small container and estimated how big the hole would need to be. Unscrewing the top, she pulled out the putty like substance and rolled it between her palms, molding it into a small ball and then pressing it against the glass.

Sakura pulled out a lighter and lit the tan putty on fire, watching as the circle engulfed in flames. No smoke emitted from it and the flames died down as the putty heated up to a fiery red, melting the glass easily.

She marveled at the invention. It eliminated the problem of glass cutters setting off the vibration sensor and didn't emit smoke so the fire alarm wouldn't go off. It was easy to carry and easy to handle.

Sliding on black gloves, Sakura pulled the putty off the glass just as it was about to fall. She placed it back into the melt proof container and slid it into her backpack, zipping it up quietly.

With her breath lodged in her throat, she reached in and gently, as though she was holding a newborn, pulled the cherry blossom out. It was even more beautiful in her hands and Sakura stared at it with awe.

She pulled off a glove with her teeth and ran the tips of her fingers along the emerald stem, the jewels bringing goose bumps to her skin. With one hand cupping the cherry blossom, Sakura pulled out a container that had foam in it. She pressed the foam to a crude shape of the cherry blossom and set it in the foam, watching as the foam settled in around the cherry blossom and secured it.

Karin came up behind her as she was putting the container in her backpack. "You only grabbed one thing?"

Sakura shrugged and looked around. The rest were diamonds and other gems, things she already had. "It's the only thing I wanted."

"Your loss," Karin said with a shrug and she hefted her backpack higher on her shoulders. Sakura wondered how many jewels Karin had grabbed and guessed at least five judging by the different empty cases around the room.

They headed back up to the office and grabbed the rope from the spot they had taped it to on the outside. Karin hooked herself in and lowered herself to the ground while Sakura supported the rope. Then Sakura hooked herself in and swung over the other building, gasping when the bricks dug into her skin. She pulled herself up and over the edge of the roof, untying the rope and gathering everything up in her backpack.

Sakura pulled her black clothing off, revealing shorts and a tank top. She slid her boots back on and stuffed her clothes and gun into her backpack before climbing down the ladder, dropping onto the green, dirt coated dumpster, and then stepping onto the pavement.

Karin came down the alleyway, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She stared at Sakura silently, giving Sakura a bad feeling.

There was a gun in her hand.

"I'm really sorry Sakura, but it'll look more of a random robbery if there's a dead passerby." Karin held up the gun, aimed at Sakura's chest.

Sakura took a step back, her eyes wide, her face pale. "You wouldn't…we're sisters."

"Oh, but I would. I've always been in your shadow. Father has always liked you more, praised you more, asked me why I couldn't be more like you—"

"No he hasn't!"

"Yes he has! And I'm tired of it. When you're gone he'll have no choice but to love me more," Karin whispered, tears in her eyes. And then they were gone and there was this murderous rage, aimed at Sakura.

And then the trigger was pulled and Sakura's chest exploded with pain and betrayal.

* * *

The ground beneath Sakura was moving. She squinted her eyes open and realized the ceiling was moving too in a dizzy mixture of bright light and tile.

A warm liquid covered her chest and stomach and she went to sit up and see what it was but a blooming pain in her chest and numbness stopped her. For some reason she couldn't think past her surroundings, couldn't remember what had happened or why she was here.

People were crowded around her, some talking to her, others yelling demands to people she couldn't see. And then there was an angel standing over her in white, his onyx eyes roaming her face with determination and worry. His eyebrows creased when he met her eyes.

"She's awake," he told a blonde to his right who was wearing a cop uniform. "Can you hear me?"

"Where am I?" Sakura asked through dry lips. She went to lick her lips and realized her mouth was dry too, her throat parched.

"You're in the emergency room," the man told her, his voice smooth and velvet. "You've been—"

"She shot me." Sakura flinched and tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids. Upon realizing it, the pain overtook her, growing and drowning her in hatred and sorrow and guilt. Was part of it her fault? Had she somehow unknowingly caused Karin to hate her?

"Stay with us," the man demanded, opening one of her eyes with his warm fingertips. "Stay with me!"

Sakura opened her eyes, only able to keep them half open and she struggled to breathe. Her body felt ice cold and with a burst of panic she realized the numbness was spreading across her body like a plague.

The man above her was shouting orders and somehow in the frenzy his hand found hers, squeezing it gently. Oddly, her hand didn't go numb even when the rest of her body did. He was the anchor holding her to this life, keeping her from floating away into blackness.

Her eyes fluttered and she tried to keep them open.

"We gave you some morphine and anesthesia to put you to sleep," he informed her as they emerged into an operating room. They lifted her onto the operating table and as she drifted off, she felt the warmth of the darkness and wasn't afraid.

* * *

A blinding white light woke Sakura. She blinked rapidly until her eyes had adjusted. Little balloons of every color were printed on the walls and she had to look away before they sucked her into their dizzying pattern.

A nurse passed by the open door, glancing in, and did a double take, backing up so she could get a better look at Sakura. With a small smile, the nurse disappeared with a newfound destination.

Sakura lay propped on some pillows and she remained still. Every time she moved, a searing pain zinged through her chest. After a while of lying there, restlessness set in and she curled her toes tightly to keep from getting up and walking out of the hospital.

A multitude of thoughts ran through her mind. Karin had tried to kill her. What would happen when Karin realized she wasn't dead? Would she come after her? Or try and pretend like nothing had happened? Sakura would never let her forget what she had done and would never forgive her.

Glancing up, Sakura found the man who had saved her staring at her from the doorway, a covered plate in his hand. He stepped into the room and pulled out the bed tray, placing the plate in front of her without a word. Then he sat in the chair next to her bedside, angling it so he faced her.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I operated on you when you were in the emergency room," he told her as he leaned his elbows on his knees.

Sakura nodded, staring at the plate, but not really seeing it. She focused on him out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm Sakura," she finally answered reluctantly. She didn't offer a last name and had no intentions of doing so anytime soon.

Sasuke nodded and knitted his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Sakura replied softly. "Thank you."

They were both silent for a moment before Sasuke spoke up. He asked curiously, "So what were you doing at three in the morning on a deserted street with no ID, wallet, or cash?"

Sakura wanted to shrug, but knew she would regret it when the pain came back. "Maybe I'm homeless," she challenged him and met his eyes. She kept her face emotionless.

He raised one black eyebrow at her and shook his head. "You're too clean to be a homeless person." He nodded at the emerald ring on her finger with the small diamonds encrusted in the silver band. "And the only way a homeless person would have something like that is if they stole it. Did you steal it?"

Sakura wasn't sure whether she should laugh at the fact that he was accusing her of stealing the _wrong_ thing or if she should be angry because he was judging her so easily as a thief, even if he was right on the dot.

Dryly, she informed him, "It's a family heirloom. They were _willingly_ given to us."

"Us?"

Her stomach dropped at her stupidity. Swallowing hard, Sakura did the best she could at backtracking: she lied. "One was given to my sister Karin too, but she died in a car accident. She was all I had left. "

Sasuke was silent for a moment, his face unreadable. "My parents died when I was young. Now all I have is my brother, not that he's around much."

A guilty bubble formed in Sakura's stomach. She was treading on dangerous, emotional territory here. There was no way she could get close to this guy, this beautiful, captivating guy who for some reason she felt drawn to. The first chance she got, she was getting out of here and she couldn't afford to linger, especially when the robbery would be discovered soon and she would be the first person questioned.

"My friend Naruto is coming by later to question you. He's a cop and he's friendly enough, kind of loud though so be warned. He arrived at the scene first and made sure you got to the hospital quickly," Sasuke told her.

Sakura paled. She didn't want any cops showing up. The fewer questions asked, the less of a story she would need to make up. Plus, she didn't want the cops catching Karin. Karin had a loud mouth when it came to saving her own skin and Sakura wanted to find Karin and deal with things on her own.

A beeping sound filled the room and Sasuke pulled a pager from his pocket. He rubbed his temple with his index and middle finger as he read the pager.

It was then Sakura noticed that he didn't have a doctor's coat on, that he was dressed in normal clothes. If he wasn't on duty, then why was he here, checking up on her?

"I have to go," Sasuke said as he stood, pocketing the pager. "Try and eat some food and rest, it'll make you feel better. The nurse will be coming by with more morphine because your dose should be wearing off soon."

Sakura could already feel the sting in her chest growing, turning into a stabbing pain with each passing minute. She wanted to fall asleep and bypass the pain and wake up when it was all over.

Sasuke left the room without another word and Sakura was left alone, her eyes transfixed on his empty seat. With a sigh, she decided that after she woke from the next dose of morphine, she would leave. It was the only choice she had at this point.

* * *

It was sunrise the next time she woke. The rays painted the sheets gold and warmed her legs to the point where they felt like they were on fire. She threw the cover back, surprised when her chest didn't ache with the movement.

Her eyes found the IV. Once she pulled out the IV and the monitors stuck to her chest she would only have a minute or two to get out of there. A pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt lay on a chair next to the bed and she reached for them, sliding them on and folding the hospital gown to take with her. No trace of her could be left.

She found her shoes under the chair and slid them on. The area under the bandages felt blissfully numb, but she knew it would be wearing off soon enough.

The machines next to the bed started beeping like loud sirens as she yanked the sensors off her chest. The IV slid out easily and she sprang from the bed and out the door, heading down the hall and barely making it around the corner before a herd of nurses appeared at the other end of the hallway.

It took a minute for the elevator doors to open and she hid behind two doctors consulting about something on a piece of paper. The lobby was large with marble floors and dark blue lounge chairs and couches. People bustled around, disappearing into elevators and hallways and rooms.

Sakura let herself be swallowed up in the stream of people heading for the exit. No one stopped her as she walked at a casual pace away from the hospital. An ambulance went by, its lights flashing wildly, and she felt bad for the person in it whose day had to start off so badly.

It took two buses, walking three blocks south, and cutting through an alleyway to reach Ino's house. By the time she got into the apartment complex's main lobby her chest felt like a million tiny bumblebees were stinging it. Once in the elevator, she leaned heavily against the back, glad it was empty.

She reached Ino's floor and stumbled out. The light flickered in a wash of dimmed light and then bright, blinding light.

Ino answered after the third knock. Her eyes widened and she tried to find words as Sakura slid past her into the apartment, collapsing on a kitchen chair at the counter island.

"Karin shot me," Sakura explained before Ino could utter a single word. "She fucking shot me, her own sister, and left me for dead."

The words left a bitter feeling in her throat and she rushed to the kitchen sink, throwing up the little food she had in her stomach. Everything burned, her throat, her eyes, her chest, her stomach, and her feet.

"Sakura—"

"I know." Sakura held up a hand, ignoring the searing pain shooting down her side like lightning. "You warned me. I should've known. This isn't the first time she's abandoned me. I just didn't want to believe you because she's my half sister—now turned enemy."

Ino paled and her eyes dropped to Sakura's chest, her teeth nearly gnawing a hole through her bottom lip. "We're not alone…and you're bleeding."

It hurt too much to look down so Sakura gingerly pressed her fingers against her breastbone. They came back red.

"Well, I walked." Her eyes narrowed at Ino, but before she could ask her about the first thing she said, the kitchen tilted in a smear of blurriness.

"Sakura!" Ino shrieked and caught her under the arms, blood staining the front of her shirt as she wrapped her arms around Sakura's back to hold her. "Sasuke, I need your help!"

Sakura lifted her head at the sound of his name. She saw him hurriedly approach over Ino's shoulders and then he was lifting her with ease. Her head fell against his collarbone.

"I guess your sister's not dead, huh?" he joked in a light voice, but she could see the tense line of his jaw.

"Don't take me back to the hospital please," Sakura pleaded through dry lips. She tried to lick them, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"And have you run away again?" He set her down gently on the guest bedroom's bed. She noticed how he was in normal clothes: jeans and a faded t-shirt with a band she had never heard of before. "Something tells me you don't want to be found, but by whom?"


	10. Limited

Hello, it's been a while. I'm having sort of a difficult time right now that is getting better and to kind of take my mind off of things I've been writing more. I know I've been gone, but that's because I was finishing up a YA book that I'd been working on so yay for productiveness.

I know this is hardly the story you guys want to see updated. On the bright side, I'm working on a _Let's Play a Game, Shall We? _Chapter 2 that'll complete the two-shot so that's something to look forward to.

This is based off the move Like Crazy, which is extremely good and I'd recommend it. I don't own it or Naruto.

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. I'll keep the rating mature just to be safe.

This is **not **part of any series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_I thought I understood it, the idea of you and me._

She sat in the tub, her thin arms wrapped around her knees tightly. The water was lukewarm and her fingers were pruned, but she didn't make a move to get out.

The door opened quietly and Sasuke hovered in the doorway, uncertain.

Without taking her eyes off the dripping bath faucet, she said in a soft voice, "What's going to happen after graduation Sasuke?"

He didn't say anything. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shift closer. She turned her head to look at him, her cheek falling against her cold, pale knee.

"I don't know," he finally answered. "Don't think about it."

His words somehow calmed her and angered her at once. She frowned, sighing loudly through her nose, and tried to reason with herself that it was probably better if she didn't think about it. They still had time, so many weeks, so many days. But annoyance bubbled in her chest because he refused to talk about it. Eventually they would have to acknowledge the fact that he was going to graduate, and be out in the real world, and she was going to be stuck there, seeing an echo of her memories with him everywhere she went.

Something grabbed her ankle and she squealed, her flailing arms sending bubbles everywhere. One landed on Sasuke's nose and he wrinkled his face as he tried to blow it away. The moment made her burst out laughing and he pulled her closer, his lips pressing to hers softly at first before moving faster, lips parting and tongue tracing the seam of her lips.

Everywhere he touched tingled. His fingers found their way between her legs and she fell apart against him, her lips moving across his shoulder lazily and catching the water drops with her tongue. She wanted to be closer to him, if that was possible, but maybe it was because sooner or later they'd be far apart.

She wrapped her legs around him and he entered her with a groan. Water sloshed over the rim, soaking their clothes, but they barely noticed in their completeness.

"Sasuke..." she said after as he's dried her off with a towel.

"Hn?"

"I love you." Every time she said those three words it felt like it was the first time saying them. Her stomach swam with butterflies at his voice.

"I love you."

* * *

"What do you mean it's a one way trip?" Sakura asked, wanting to slam her fists against something. The table she being forced to sit at, the walls holding her in this awful place, this man's face for not understanding her situation.

"You violated your Visa. You're not allowed to re-enter the country," he said, folding his fingers over a file with her name on it.

"And if I don't get on the plane?" She wanted to run, back to Sasuke's apartment where she could hide under the covers with him. It'd been easy enough to do all summer, why not prolong it a little longer until she could get this figured out?

"We have someone waiting to escort you onto the plane."

"Can I have a moment please?" she stared at him with a cold gaze.

"You have five minutes. We are not delaying this flight." He got up and left the room, watching her from the window in the door.

"Then let it leave without me," she whispered. She moved to the phone in the corner and dialed Sasuke's number, sliding down the wall until she was sitting with her face buried in her knees.

"Sasuke," she croaked into the phone, swallowing past the lump in her throat.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" his voice was husky with sleep. She'd left him with his head buried in his pillow, not wanting to wake him so early when she'd assumed she'd be back soon. Now she regretted not saying goodbye because who knew when she'd be able to enter the country again.

"I violated my Visa by staying so long. They're not letting me back into the country once I leave."

"What? That's bullshit," he said and there was shuffling. "I'm on my way."

"Don't," she muttered. Now the tears were falling. "The plane's about to leave. I'll figure it out when I've landed."

"Okay. Call me when you land and we'll figure it out."

"I will," she promised and with trembling hands pressed the phone as hard as she could against her ear as though that'd make him appear. "I love you, Sasuke."

"I love you."

* * *

There he was, suitcase in one hand, roses in the other. She ran to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him with enough force to nearly knock him over. Her lips found his and they both sighed at the contact.

"I've been counting down the seconds," she whispered in the hair thin space between their lips before kissing him again.

They ended up in her apartment, a sad little excuse of a place that she'd thought she'd spend maybe a month in before flying back to Sasuke. Instead, as months passed, it'd become her own and more homey as she settled in.

He looked out of place, sitting at her table as she cooked dinner. She'd grown accustom to the emptiness of the place except for when friends came by and it was a new experience to see him among her new life.

It made her sad to think of this as her new life as though he and her old life were gone. They weren't, though. She refused to think that way.

Eventually they made it to her bed, a monstrosity of a think that took over the majority of her bedroom. That didn't matter nearly as much as his fingers did as they moved up her skirt, finding her wet and needy after five months of waiting for them to reunite. Talking on the phone never fully made up for the physical contact.

His lips followed his fingers and soon she was keening at her cracked ceiling, neck arched and hair splayed across her pillowcase. When he finally moved up to kiss her, she worked on unbuckling his belt, drawing him closer with a tug on his belt loops. As he thrust into her, she tried to memorize the feeling of fingers brushing her nipples, warm breath against her face and eyes staring into hers with an intensity that made her feel like she was the most important thing in his life, the only thing in his world.

"I love you," she said against his shoulder as she came, him falling over the edge right after her.

"I love you."

* * *

She watched him go through the security checkpoint. He turned to take one last look at her, smiling. It was hard to smile back for her lips were trembling so much, but she managed to and waved at him. She watched him until all that was left was the memory of him standing in front of her, kissing her goodbye with teeth and tongue and lips.

"I love you," she whispered into the empty space in front of her, closing her eyes and trying to imagine him saying it back.


	11. Traffic

Warning: oneshots may be extremely short or extremely long. Language and sexual content may and probably will be in some of them, but not all. Rating is mature to be safe.

This is **not** part of any series.

* * *

**Unwilling Juliet, Unsuspecting Romeo**

_She joined his brother, his enemy, to save him even if he hated her for it.  
_

"Stop! I will shoot!" Sakura screamed as the hooded figure ran down the street and dashed into a side alley.

People ducked and jumped out of the way, their heads whipping around to follow her as she disappeared into the alleyway.

The sunlight fell short of the alleyway's grimy, trash lined ground. Darting through the shadows, the hooded figure seemed to know his way based on the sudden turns. He sped up as he approached a green dumpster, jumping onto it in one leap.

Sakura slid to a stop and aimed her gun at his heart. He froze when he heard the click and turned to half face her.

"Going to shoot me?"

The voice froze Sakura, but she didn't lower her gun. All of a sudden everything clicked: the stolen diamonds from the Uchiha Museum, the missing papers from the CEO office on the hundred and seventh floor of the Uchiha Corporation building, the leaked private information about Itachi Uchiha.

"Sasuke." The word sounded foreign on her tongue. It has been three years since she's said that name, allowed herself to think about him. "Take off the hood."

With hands she remembered all too well, he pulled down the hood and revealed a face with features that had sharpened over the years. The glint in his obsidian eyes was familiar and it made her stomach clench.

He put one hand on the metal ladder running up the side of the brick building. It startled Sakura and she tightened her hold on her gun, refocusing it.

"Stop, Sasuke," she demanded. "You need to stop all of this. I understand you want to take down Itachi, but this isn't the way."

His eyes stormed over and a snarl curled his lips. "And your way is better? I thought you were on my side and then I find out you've joined the fucking police. Itachi is controlling them like puppets!"

The anger was raw and it scraped against the open wound where her heart should've been.

"He was coming for you. It's the only way I can keep your trail hidden from him. You can take down Itachi, but not without getting a life sentence to jail! He believes he's controlling me. His guard has weaken—"

Sasuke smirked cruelly and stepped onto the first rung of the ladder. "Itachi's guard will never weaken, not while I'm alive."

He ascended the ladder until he was over the edge of the roof and out of sight.

Sakura lowered her gun and strapped it into her holster. She walked down the alleyway, feeling his eyes on her back the entire time, and tried to ignore the same guilty feeling from three years ago when she left him.

* * *

_I'd sent him out for something, something I didn't remember now when everything else blared in my mind like a neon light. He had to stay safe, he couldn't be caged, ripe for the picking when Itachi finally decided to come for him._

_With a burner phone, I made the call and told them to hurry._

_And so I stashed everything in a small shoebox, tucking the enveloped note with the engagement right in the center before putting the top on and stashing it under the floorboards beneath the bed. He didn't know the hiding spot, but I had faith in him to find it eventually, just like I hoped he had faith in me to not take this whole thing at face value._

_Afterward, I sat on at the island in the kitchen, watching the second hand go round and round while wishing they'd just hurry up already. My stomach was in knots and I just wanted this to be over already. Years later, I still carried the tension that started the moment I closed the door behind Sasuke. I waited for him to come to me, but he wasn't one to give people second chances and I should've known._

_Finally, the knock came. I didn't move to answer it and listened as the door was kicked down and a dozen armed, bulletproofed men came in like I was some monster waiting to tear them all down. The looks on their faces were priceless when I merely spun in my seat and held up my hands, waiting to be handcuffed._

_We exited the building and I searched the growing crowd for him. It was dark by now and the flashing lights drew attention, would draw his attention from two blocks away._

_As I was being put into the squad car, I spotted him in the window just below our apartment, arms crossed, a small bag in his hand. I remember now. An onion and tomato, that's what I sent him out for._

* * *

Sakura knew where he was holed up, had known for a few weeks, but knew better than to jump right into things. So she prepared, waited, surveyed.

He'd come out at 8:57am exactly, jump into a taxi at 9:00am that was always a different number, and go somewhere. It was a routine he'd planned, double-checked, quadruple checked, but just like the very beginning when they'd met, there was no way he would ever be able to prepare for her.

When he came out at 8:57am and dialed a number on his phone, Sakura waited the appropriate three minutes and then pulled up in a taxi, keeping her head forward like she'd seen the taxi drivers always do.

Sasuke got in the back, closed the door against the chilly January wind, and named a place. She nodded and sped off, weaving around cars like an expert taxi driver. And then, when she was supposed to go straight, she turned, hitting the lock button for the doors the same second Sasuke gripped the handle.

She didn't need to take off the cap for him to figure out who it was.

"It's bulletproof so don't even try," Sakura said as she slowed to the crawl of morning city traffic. She glanced over her shoulder at the gun in his lap with a smirk and then looked him in the eye. "I'll be adding one to our tally."

He didn't react at all to the joke, but relaxed a little when he realized she wasn't here to kill him. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk you," Sakura said as she stepped on the gas, inching forward a foot. She desperately wanted to look him in the eyes as they talked, to show him in emotion that she was telling the truth. He'd always been able to read her with such clarity that it'd scared her. But she had to focus on driving, the one setback to her plan. "About what happened."

"We both know what happened," he snapped, his voice a razorblade, but luckily Sakura had skin of leather and a spine of steel when it came to sharp words. "You decided you'd had enough being on the tough side, _my_ side."

"That's bullshit, but if you don't believe me then check the back of the passenger seat. Look at the files," she dared him and heard the shuffling as he pulled them out.

Traffic picked up and she turned onto a side street. Parking the car, she turned only to find that the plastic between the front and back had been removed and the gun was back, aimed at the spot just behind her ear than he'd always liked to taste with teeth and tongue.

She didn't say anything, a silent dare, as she stared at him from the corner of her eye. Her hand found the unlock button, but he didn't move to get out.

"Under the bed," she said under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear, and then turned away from the gun, away from him, and got out of the car. It was the first time she'd walked away from him in three years and it hurt just as much as the first time.

* * *

She sat in a small cafe around the block from her apartment. The phone in her pocket remained silent and the knot in her stomach grew by the hour. She'd brought a book, a knew hobby she was trying out to pass the long hours of waiting that came with kind of job, but the words weren't sticking in her head.

With a sigh, she put the book on the table and ran a hand through her hair before letting her cheek fall into her palm as she stared at the other occupants. She made up imaginary lives for them, tried to make them worse than her own so she didn't feel so bad for herself. This was the life she'd chosen, the paths she'd gone down and she'd done everything she could to fix it.

She admitted some of her past choices weren't her finest, one in particular sending up flares in her mind, but at the time she'd thought it the best choice. People always ended up coming up with something better once things were said and done so she tried to wave a white flag at her guilt. Tried and tried and failed.

A waiter came by with the check and she quickly paid and left, deciding to get on with things. It started to rain as she walked home and she ran the rest of the way, taking two steps at a time up to her apartment because all she wanted at this point was some warm clothes. As she unlocked her door she examined her book for water damage.

It wasn't until she was in the kitchen that she realized someone else was in the apartment. It was a feeling more than anything and so she pulled out her gun and turned the corner to find Itachi sitting in her living room, drinking a cup of hot tea as he waited.

"Just the person I was waiting for," he said like he'd expected someone else to come in even though he knew she lived alone. He motioned with his hand and a gun pressed between Sakura's shoulder blades.

Slowly, she lowered her gun.

"Just a precaution," Itachi explained and then stood, setting down his tea as he came closer. His eyes darkened. "Where's my brother, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head, saying, "I don't know. I saw him the other day, I was chasing him, but he got away."

Fingers wrapped around her jugular and Itachi yanked her closer, his lips twisted in a disappointed frown. "I should've know you were bad news, but I still gave you a chance when you came to me."

He threw her to the ground and stepped on her wrist, hard enough to hear a crack and her resulting groan, when she reached for her gun. Crouching down, he said, "You saw him earlier today, Sakura. Tell me where he is."

She lay still, staring up at the ceiling as she calmed her breaths. "I don't know where he is."

Itachi grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. When he spoke, she could see the way he restrained himself, kept his voice calm even though his face was starting to turn red and the veins in his neck were starting to bulge.

"You know him best, my dear. You know his patterns, his though process, what he'll do next, so use that pretty little brain of yours and _figure it out_ before I blow it all over your ugly carpet."

Sakura's left hand twitched and she practically growled as she slammed her fist into Itachi's nose. He fell backwards, allowing her to reach into her right sleeve and pull out a knife. There were gunshots, but she managed to take the guy out before he could hit anything vital.

Scrambling across the floor, she grabbed the gun with her left hand right as Itachi latched onto her ankle. He pulled her under him and pinned her by the neck to the ground, chocking her with his entire weight.

It felt like her head was going to pop. She lifted the gun but he smacked it out of her hand and it slid under the coffee table, out of reach. With her good hand, she dug her thumb into his eye until he rolled off of her.

She left him there, screaming, his face a bloody mess, and ran towards the front door. Before she could get there, it burst open and she came face to face with Sasuke. She didn't run into his arms like she imagined she would, were she some mushy, cliché girl. Instead, she held out her hand for his phone.

"Call Naruto," he said, referring to their best friend who was one of the good, untainted by political bribery cops in the city. Then Sasuke disappeared down the hallway and Sakura started dialing.

It didn't take long for Naruto and his squad to get there. The three of them went off to the side as one of Naruto's partners handcuffed Itachi and stood watch while a medic took care of him.

Sakura explained everything up until Sasuke had arrived and let him take the lead while she went to see what they were doing with Itachi. The medic was finishing taking care of his eyes, putting gauze over each, and stepped away when she motioned at him to do so

Itachi tilted his head towards her movement. She knelt in front of him and said, "You're done."

He smiled like he was the cat and she was the fish. "You may have called your own cops, but sooner or later I will be free."

Sakura shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "This is only the beginning of a long list of crimes on its way to all the major newspapers. The physical proof is on its way to the mayor. I figured he'd want to know what's going on in his town."

"What makes you think I don't have the mayor under my finger as well?" he asked in a cocky tone, but she saw the way his smile faltered.

"I have my ways," she said and stood, not bothering to tell him she'd been in contact with him since the beginning, three years ago.

She found Sasuke in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, observing everything around him. He didn't have to run, not with Naruto around, but he was still on edge.

"You've got shitty timing," she told him as she took up post next to him.

He frowned and pushed back her hair so he could have a better look at the darkening bruise on her neck. "I'm sorry I'm three years late."

Her heart jumped and she grabbed his hand on its way to his side, wincing at the way her wrist hurt at the movement, but unable to let go. She never wanted to let go, now that she had him back.

Unfortunately, he didn't miss much and after quickly pinpointing the injury to her wrist.

"You have to see a medic," he said and pulled away from the counter to go find one. Before he could walk away though, he stopped and turned, holding out his hand.

"What?" she asked and held out her good hand.

"I figured you'd be missing this," he said and dropped her engagement ring in her upturned palm. It was warm, like he'd been holding onto it for a while.

Sakura felt a lump clog her throat. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what, so she grabbed the back of his neck even though she didn't expect him to run, and pressed her lips to his.

He let out a big sigh through his nose as he pressed her back against the counter and kissed her with teeth and tongue and three years worth of longing.

When they finally pulled away, Naruto was standing in the doorway with a look of childish disgust on his face.

"Now that you're done, we can leave," he said in a serious tone but there was a happy smile trying to break through.

Sasuke looked like he wanted to smack him, but refrained himself and instead went for a more subtle approach by saying, "We're not getting ramen tonight."

It was a long ride to the station after that.

* * *

Yeah, it's been a while. I know I said I'd do things that still aren't done, but I'm chugging along (isn't that what I always say? "_hey, I'm not really accomplishing much but at least I'm still trying, right?"_).

Here's an update on my life just so you guys know that while I'm not updating all that much, at least it's being traded off for important things. I just became a certified EMT (the people who go on the ambulances and help others), am planning to go to Argentina this Spring semester, am working around 40-50 hours a week, am writing another YA novel about parallel universes, and trying to read a couple books since I just finished my fall semester in college and need some relaxation. I'm sure there's more, there always is isn't there? but I won't bog you all down with it.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas (mine was white which was the best) and will have a great New Years! Thanks for reading!


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